The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-11-28

In his mine. while his squaw Is smok-
ing at the door Of tie shanty.
Humble Hiram springs his surprise.
There's Il cayuse grazing near by, and
he loads him up with the outfit and
then crooks his finger at the squaw.
She thinks it rather sudden, but she
follers along. An hour later Pete
m home to dinner. He finds a
vacancy and Il cum. He stops
around for ten minutes to do his
swearing and hit the trail, and three
hours later he O%verhauls the humble
and erring couple. Another surprise
awaits him. Humble Hiram turns like
the worm and shoots him in the leg.
Word reaches me. and l issue a war
rant, and the constable serves it. and
Hiram and the squaw are brought in.
She hain't a party to the affair in the
eyes of the law and is allowed to GO.
When Hiram is put on trial he makes
no defense and returns to his humility
Of demeanor. l believe that the shys-
ter who defended him did say some
thing about temporary insanity, but
that's a thing that don't go out in this
country. 1t was ruled out and the
prisoner convicted on three different
counts-viz, shamming humility, steal
ing a mans squaw and shooting a fell
Ter being in the left leg. I sentenced
him to sixty years in prison. and YOU
remember how his eyes filed with
tears of gratitude. He had expected
no less than a hundred.
S1 nc1, ,>0% ~,,1,, ~~ --..A -.
as an individual. and the owner of the
only saloon for a hundred miles around.
where the bartender can mix a Man.
haitian cocktail without pausing to
scratch his head and consult the geog-
raphy, to consider the Nervousness of
Humble's offenses. For years he plays
this town of Sandy Bend low down.
He processes to be what he isn't. Then
he II day rides up to the shack Of a
toll hardened man and steals his outfit
and puts a damper on industry. Not
satisfied with that, he carries off the
mans squaw, and when she weeps and
protests he hits her Il bat on the ear.
The toll hardened cuss pursues, only to
get Il bullet in the leg, and Humble
won't even stop to ask him If it hurts
much.
This court felt it's gorge rise as de-
tall after detail was brought out, and
when he testimony was all in such a
sentence was imposed as seemed in &C.
cord with the crime. And what has
followed? Humble Hiram has appeal
ed Il case, and the higher court has
reversed my decision and ordered a re-
trial. Think Of that, and this the TWEEN.
tieth century!
Il shall crawtish, but only quite
some. The reversal will he entered on
my docket, but when it comes to a re-
trial there won't be any. With run
ming my Red Dog saloon. taking a hand
at poker and acting as justice of the
peace for four counties, this court has
no time to fool away splitting legal
hairs. Humble Hiram will be returned
to the lookup for a couple of hours.
Then he will be brought out and head
ed up the trail. AS he is passing the
first cedar thicket an individual will
step out aud accost him and begin to
daily with him. When the perform
ance Is finished justice will have been
uOue, uuu Will never again
come within a hundred miles Of Sandy
Bend.
Il am not saying that this ere court
sticks rigidly to the statutes made and
provided in handling a case. He may
wabble to the right, and he ma wab-
BILE to the left. His idea is that JUS
tice may he done. If there hain't any
Justice in the statutes, then it seems
to be the duty of the court to step in
and fill the gap. He can crawfsh with
all proper grace and humility, but he
can also rise like the phenix bird from
the ashes and bluff a four flush through
to the end. We will now adjourn the
court and begin the other perform
ances." NJ, QUAD,