Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-11-20
AN UNIQUE SENTENCE.
CAREFUL PERFORMANCE OF A
DISACREEA6LE DUTY.

Keeps on the Good Side Of the Prisoner anc
Ills Voting Relatives-Presents a Sample
Line Of Fridays for Inspection and Has thu
Condemned Set His Own Time for Execu
tion.
Ex-Vice President Stevenson had q
fund of good stories. One of his best
was about a judge in one of the back
districts OF Illinois, in the early days
The judge was a politician all over
and took particular care so to conduct
himself on the bench that he would
offend no one and thus secure a re.
election at the expiration OF his term.
In one section of his county was a
numerous family named Green, and
" Green's Ridge" was famous on &C.
count of every voter being related to
the Greens, if not actually bearing the
name. They were clanish, and always
voted together. In contests where ev-
erything else was equal, the vote of
Green Ridge" would decide. The
person who was so unfortunate as to
incur the displeasure of any one per.
son of the Ridge" was sure to have
the entire population against him.
Officeholders were satisfied to overlook
many shortcomings of the Green fam
lily not to incur their enmity.
One year, Bill Green, the most noto-
rious of the family, killed man. 1t
was q case of cold-blooded murder,
and, although the "Ridge" attended
the trial On masse, the jury was not to
be overawed, and rendered verdict
OF guilty. Seeing the numerous
Greens in attendance, and not wishiag
to offend them, the judge was very len.
lent in his rulings. favoring the coun-
sci for the defense and overriding the
law and the prosecuting attorney un-
blushingly. His charge to the jury
was q model of inoffensiveness and
favorable to the prisoner. 1t was ap.
parently painful to him when the ver-
dict was pronounced.
Bill Green went back to Jail and re-
mained there until the prosecuting at.
torney had insisted several times that
sentence must be pronounced. The
relatives from the Ridge" were still
around, and when it was noised about
that the judgs had sent the sheriff to
bring Bill Green into court to receive
sentence, they all filed into the court.
room and awaited Developments.
When the prisoner had been brought
in the judge glanced around tho room
and began nervousiy:
Mr.. Green, by the way, as you are
no doubt aware, the recent trial ended
in manner rather unfortunate for
yourself. That, you will take notice,
Mr.. Green, was not the fault of the
court. The court, Mr.. Green, you OF
course observed, had nothing to do
with making or rendering this verdict.
That was matter entirely outside the
jurisdiction of this court, and wholly
with the jury, Mr.. Green. The jury
was not of the courts choosing, Mr..
Green. In fact, the court could have
no choice in the matter of a jury, and
in this case the court had no idea as
to who would compose the jury, and
had no part in its deliberations or con-
clusions. The court, Mr.. Green, con.
tents itself simply and solely with the
law, and l hope you and your family,
Mr.. Green, have observed that the
court kept strictly within its own
proper sphere"
The judge glanced around and no.
ticed that he had not yet given offense
to the Ridge" and proceeded:
"You have, no doubt observed, Mr..
Green. that the jury-not the court,
mind-has returned a verdict. That
verdict was-ah-was somewhat prelu.
dicial to your interests, Mr.. Green. 1t
was, in fact, against you, Mr.. Green.
In fact, Mr.. Green, the jury found you
guilty of-of murder, Mr.. Green.
He glanced hastily around the room
again, and the Ridge" was frowning,
and he added hastily:
"You understand, Mr.. Green, that it
was the jury, az l said before, and not
the court, that has returned this ver-
dict"
The judge hesitated some time, and
then the prosecuting attorney said:
Sentence must be pronounced"
"Ah, yes" continued the judge,
" You see. Mr.. Green, the law makes it
obligatory upon the court-and l wish
you and your family to remember that
the court did not make the law-to
pronounce sentence upon you, without
regard to what the feelings of the court
may be. The sentence, Mr.. Green,
which the law provides - and with
which the court had no part in the
making--is that you-in fact, Mr..
Green, the law says, as you are no
doubt aware, that you must-must-
hang. Now, Mr.. Green, the court de-
sires to make this ceremony as com.
Portable and convenient for you as
possible, and the court would like to
know il you have any preference as to
the time. What day, Mr.. Green,
would you prefer?"
Friday is as good as any day." re-
piled Green, stolidly.
"Ah, very good; it shall be as you
desire, Mr.. Green. and the conrt fixes
Friday"
He bowed to Green and smiled at
the Ridge" The attorney said the
exact Friday must be named.
"Oh, yes" answered the judge.
d" Mr.. Green, the law says that the
date, which means that the date OF
the month as we'll as the day Of the
week, must be appointed. Now, Mr..
Green, what day of the month do you
think would meet your convenience?
There are five Fridays in the month,
all nice Fridays. There is the I'd, the
9th. the 10th, the 23d, and the 3Oth."
The judge looked earnestly at the
prisoner, like q clerk in dry goods
store showing goods to particular
customer.
"The last ones good enough for
me-" answered Green.
every we'll. very we'll, Mr.. Green.
We will say Friday, the 30th. That
will be the date, Mr.. Green, if agreea-