Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1909-03-13
FUNNY POINTS N LAW
Odd Problems With Which Courts
Have Had to WrestIe.
A QUEER QUESTION OF TIME.
Curious Provision In an Eccentric
Mans Will Upon Which Hangs the
Settlement Of an Estate-Are Duck
Eggs Eggs, and Is Skimmilk Miik7

| Eggs Eggs, ana Us Skimmuk M'ik1
One of the strangest problems ever
submitted to the decision OF the law
was that growing out of the disposi-
ton Of the property OF an Englishman,
the father OF twin sons. II appears
that this eccentric owned extensive
tracts OF land In Australia. the great
part of which he stipulated In his Will
should 60 to the first OF the two sons
20 attain the age Of twenty-one years.
The younger Of the SONS had emil
grated TO Australia, while his brother
remained In England. II so happening
that they were In opposite quarters OF
the globe when they came Of age. The
fine point involved in the case was
this Australian time Is some hours In
advance of Greenwich, and therefore
the claim was made that the young
man In Australia reached his majority
before his brother at home had done
likewise Which of the two brothers
was legally entitled to the property?
fair to afford employment for the ex-
ercise Of lawyers wits for many years
| to come.
Another hard nut for the lawyers TO
crack was presented by case tried in
Indiana some years ago. The question
was In substance, Are eggs eggs. or are
only hens eggs eggs? Lndicrous as
this may seem, the point involved
some nice shades of meaning in these
words sufficient indeed to carry the
case through several courts.
A man had ordered OF his grocer one
dozen eggs. He sent ducks eggs. These
were returned as not being what the
customer had asked for, but the grocer
refused to take them back. The Gus
toner, In turn, declined to receive the
eggs, and they were sent back and
forth so frequently for several days,
during which they became bad, that
finally the grocer deemed himself justi-
fed IN entering suit against the Gus
toner for the value of the goods.
The magistrate before whom the
case was first tried ordered the Gus
toner to pay. declaring, ridiculous as
Il may seem, that ducks eggs were as
much eggs as any others. The man
appealed from this, and the next court
reversed the decision on the ground
that such an order as the one in ques-
ton tacitly implied hens eggs, 1t be-
ing pointed out that II any other con-
| tention was allowed any kind of eggs
might be sent. such as pigeons cana
ries' or even snakes eggs. That set
tied II.
In case In n southern court this In
tcresting question once came up: Are
the grandchildren of man also his
children! In the legal sense this ques-
ton is not SO funny as It seems, mas
much as 1t has been seriously con-
tended not only In the United States.
but in Great Britain as well. what they
are.
Is skinned milk milk? This point
grew out of case tried In Arkansas
not very long ago. A man had asked
at a dairy for a glass OF milk TO drink
and>.was given skinned milk. for
whIcii&at the customers complaint,
the dairyman was fined. In higher
court. however, this decision was re-
| NtTStu, IL Dctlk tOhtCAhtA khas oNeAA@
med milk was really much more milk
than milk that was not skinned, for
the reason that the latter contained
something that was not milk at all
viz, cream.
Some Of the oldest points ut law are
those growing out Of the tender pas
sion. A Judge In n western court was
t11 90 lat thA hnlir
at which evening courtship should
cease. The circumstances were these:
A merchant had become much con-
cerned ut the late hour ut which his
daughters lover fingered with her at
the parental abode and so sought the
aid Of the law to expedite the young
mans time Of departure.
In delivering his decree the learned
Judge declared that IL o'clock p. m.
was the latest hour at which any
young man. fiance or not, should be
| tolerated I'm the young woman's home
| and that after such hour the parents
would he entirely justified In forcibly
ejccting him.
A queer case once turned up In n
New England town. A young man had
| embraced his sweetheart so vigorously
that he seriously injured her ribs. IL
he suffered any mental anguish as the
result Of this contretemps. SO likewise
did he suffer In pocket. for as the re-
suit Of an action brought against him
by the young woman the youth was
fined I'm the sum of $500 damages for
the injury done the girls ribs.
New England also affords this anus
ing case: A young Lothario OF Maine
during the course Of his courtship was
each evening Hospitality entertained ut
supper by his sweetheart. Some time
afterward. his ardor cooling. the young
man sought other fields To conquer.
Then what should the young woman
do but sue the young man who had
been SO bountifully entertained for OBJ
tanning the suppers on false pretenses.
| And. what is more. she succeeded IN
getting a judgment.-Edwin Tarrisse