The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-12
SANDY BEND JUSTICE.
A Case That Tried Judge Holze's
Soul.

Il wish to explain to this crowd said
Judge Hoke, of sandy Bend, as court
was duly opened, that I'm not feeling
well today. I'm feeling homesick. I'm
feeling lonesome. I'm feeling as if there
was nuthin' more to live for on this ter
restrial globe of ours. won't deny shat
as sat in the Red Dog saloon half an
hour sinee-the Red Dog belongs to this
yere Court. and is the 1eadin' saloon for
a hundred miles around-thar was tears
in my eyes and wondered if the rep
utation which old Wyoming has been
hundred years in buildin' up was to so
to smash in a day.
My friends, I have seen men and wo-
men die. I have seen innocent babies
have a ct and go sailin away On
angels wings. I have seen the lightnin'
bolt tear down mountains and the awful
cyclone level forests. 7 have heard a
Digger Indian who had been bit by a
rattlesnalze call upon Heaven to save
him and I have seen a Chineyman who
had taken carbolic acid writhe upon the
ground like a sarpint. I have held the
hand of an old man as he died, and 1
have smoothed the brow of a woman
as the death rattle sounded in her
throat.
Don't let any human hyena in this
courtroom make a mistake on me. For
twenty years I've been a resident of
Sandy Bend, dom my level best to
Uphold the honor and dignity of this
sovereign commonwealth. For the last
five years I've been a Justice of the
Peace in and for the four counties OF
Ace High. Crippled Dog, Blind Hoss
and Hell Bent, and / reckon you'll all
agree that my great object has been 10
uphola the glorious reputation left be-
hind BY our fOrefatherS. I've not only
been keerfu1 to mete out justice, but
to let all my decisions rebound to the
cred4u of the Goddess with a handker-
chief over her eyes and pair of scales
in her hands.
What happened three days ago? Cen
tIemen. gaze on Steve Taylor over thar
and let vou- souls wonder if SIGH things
can he in this enlightened century.
| Also. gaze on Bill Whiting, on the other
hand, and let them same souls O. yours
pIav tag around this courthouse and
| bring up all a-standin' agin the front
/ door. Steve Taylor has been among UP
for two years. He carries two guns,
and he has given everybody to under
/ stand that the 'leven notcheS cut into
1 the stock represented the 'leven men he
| removed from airth while dwellin' il
New Mexico. can't say that any of US
have peen afraid of him, but we have
gazed on those notches and been sorter
| keerfuI not to Craze him with our ell
bows as we passed When he has ask
! ed for credit at the Red Dorg I have
/ smilinglv# given it to him; not because
I thought he'd ever squar' up. but be
| cause didn't want to seem to doubt
his story about them 'leven men sleep
In under the sile Of a distant terri
tory.
"On one occasion. and that wasn'i
! long ago, when Steve was one in 9
fve-handed game of poker and rake6
/ in a big pot on what he said was z
straight. some Of US knew that he was
mistaken It wasn't that We was
afraid that we didn't tell him so, bu
he seemed so happy that night thai
We concluded not to upset him.
4As to Bill whiting, he's been hangin
around for only few months. but h
was sized up from the very first as {
chunp and a dub. Is thar anybody
present IN this court room who hasn'
give him the boot? Is thar a Chiney
man IN this town who hasn't bounced
lhim around? If your gorge rises ant