The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-28
A NEGRO HOLIDAY In COURT
nRITISH JUSTICE As JAMAICA'S
BLACKS EXPERIENCE TT.

-ENtfy TTnnuAlbE AhlWWUN 10 NT0ts~
Examine and Fcw Miss tho Chsnce
Hints Of Obesh Crop Up ccasienslly.
KINGSTON, jamaica. July 5o.-Nexs TO q
funeral. there 10 nothing the West Indian
nssroloVes better than the'ponderous solem-
.ltv Of the British law. The most sublime
s,ring in the gamut Of his emotions 10 struck
when he hears his neighbor. or even him.
self charged with IAN offence against the
peaoe OF our Lord the King. his Crown
and Dignity
He will 20 without food or clothing sooner
Than miss this luxury. IL In q fact n
a MYSTERIOUS one-that tho negro who
skates on the edge OF the workhouse thirty
days in the month 10 yet able to raise enough
money on the thirty-nrst "a clothe himself
and his family in gorgeous raiHnent, %
he proudly walks perhaps twenty miles TO
answer a charge of assault and battery. or
larceny. When the fine is imposed hs puts
down the money with q sikh OF pure Joy
and. having filed himself with rum, goes
home. neither ssdder nor wiser. but revel-
ling in the sense of being somebody in the
world. He hears no i'll feeling against the
man who brought him up; rather he owes
him a debt Of gratitude and after court 10
over he will fraternize with him over the
brotherly bottle and maybe arrange another
assault and battery case for the next police
court session.
Despite the fact that the West Indian
negro thus regards the police cour as Q
place Of monthly theatrical entertainment.
that dear British law, made to apply to all
conditions, colors and creeds a. one, moves
on in all the glory Of human rights and red
rape. The negro defendant, who loves 20
hear himself talk, is permitted to examine
the witness.
II was only a police court and that stuck
away in the Jamaica bush. From sunrise
the white roads among the mountains for
q score Of miles had been throneed with
law seekers, witnesses and those who hum
Gered to hear the blessed big words. Before
"A. NJ. the district village was populated
nv defendants and plaintiffs, all ablaze In
Sunday raiment, the mon carrying their
shoes in their hands, the women dazzling
in rainbow colors, with daubs Of white
powder on their perspirtng black faces.
Presently the Judges arrived-tbe local
doctor and two Fat planters with spoplectic
faces and white vests. Then the negroes
respectfully put their shoes on and there
vas a scramble for seats In the white
washed court room. The Judges tool their
seats and ceased their argument about foot
rot among sheep; the colored people we're
confined outside a railing within which the
white mon we're offered seats; then the court
was formally opened by the sersscoe, Who
announced that their Workshops wsz0 soady
TO hear
-Oyez! Oyezl Oyesl God save the King!"
Az these mystic. majestic words the
law adoring' black liege subjects get their
first thrill Of delight.
The opening case on this particular occa-
sion was one Of these undressing things
n miserable black woman with . baby
seven months old. charged with stealing q
basket containing twelve mangoes and
some other trines-value rs cents. Most
sordid and undressing. She had stolen
before. Five shillings or seven days. IL
was q Disgrace to a bush negroes Idea OF
law dignity that such a woman should
sulIy the sacred precincts Of q police court.
Couldn't even pay her ane and was &C.
cordingly marched OF seventeen miles
to the prison town. with the baby In her
arms, the noon sun overhead and q per-
.pirinx constable at her elbow. The plain
tin in the case. incidentally. was q buxom
brown girl attired In q yellow skirt, pink
silk blouse and wearing a hatful Of grapes.
She rave her evidence with modest dig
nifty and cut a really striking figure.
But tho next was a respectable oase-a
real Jamaica bush case. Mary Ann Jones
was charged with assault by . large sized
negro named William Williams. He was
dressed in his best suit of Clothes ~
indeed were the defendant and all the wit
nesses. William Williams stated that he
and Mister Jones. Mary AIMS husband.
wsre having q "oontention.- and q little
wrestling.
you mean you were fghtingf'
-Yassiri A little wrastlin'. And dis yah
female tear OF me shirt an beat me wild
her fats
sBus,. asked ono OF the Judges. who
was getting the better Of h other. you
or the husband?'
well, sab, We were about evon.'
-Prisoner.' said the senior Judge. you
may ask questions Of the witness"
frank you. sah.' said Mary Ann. and
to the witness: sWi1lyam Willyams. what
was you dom to my husbandf You was
chokin' him till him eye pop out. Yassir.
you was choke himl"
At the beginning OF the examination the
Judges seemed to lose interest and began
a quiet conversation.
him 0ay0 MIN WOuiO bnoOt mo il MN
ketch me- cried the witness.
-Cho!' said the woman. Mary Ann. him
was Just maxim fun
They argued at random for a few min
utes. Then n Of the Judges woke up
and said:
MY dear woman. keep to the point. Did
YOU attack this manf'
She admitted hat she did. The Judges
summed up" and upon the word Of the
accusing William Williams. that he himself
had not been getting the best Of the fight.
Mary Ann was hned ten shillings and costs
for ~assaulting the large sized negro who
was fighting her husband. But The
next case was John Jones. the husband OF
Mary Ann. versus William Williams for
assault and batteryi
1t was speedily shown then. hat II Mary
Ann had not given her spouse a hand this
might have been a manslaughter case.
Williams was choking the husband. a meek
little man. who had rashly told the big negro
o. Il -. IL -G-As M IA..A