Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1909-06-27
TWO STORIES Of
Law AS DEALT IN
justice COURT

~ used to like to attend the ses-
sions of tire justice court" said the
old sport. In the boom days of
Virginia City in was a hobby of mine
to be present when there was any
thing doing And let me tell you
there were few idle moments in that
law foundry in those days.
II remember quite well an occur
rance that took place there many
years ago. Perhaps you have heard
of Billy Woodburn-the same one
who at one time represented this
commonwealth in the halls of con-
gress, and none other than the man
who made the famous Sunset Cox
take his seat after our representa-
tive had given him the greatest drub-
bling he ever got at the hands of any
one. BY the way, let me tell YOU
that the oratorical attack upon Cox
ruined the latter's political career.
But to revert to the story:
WOODBURY. was defending a man in
the justice court. The trial was be-
ing heard before jury. During the
progress of the proceedings Wood
burn took occasion to refer to the
judge as "a damn fool, with the re-
suit that Woodburn was immediately
fined 500 for contempt of court.
Now, WOODBURY. was recognized as
leading legal light in those days and
when he demanded jury trial to
determine whether or not the Judges
sentence should be carried into eff
feet, his honor was somewhat nom
NIL
the matter of fine for contempt is
arbitrary with the court, but this
particular Judge was somewhat at sea
concerning his right to deny the de-
mand of the attorney that he should
be given a jury trial in the matter.
However, after some deliberation,
the judge decided that it was COM
pulsory upon him to grant the re-
quest of WOODBURY.. A jury was
sworn and several witnesses. of whom
| was one, We're examined The case
was finally given to the jury, who re-
turned after but short deliberation
with this verdict: We, the jury.
impaneled to try William WOODBURY.
in contempt proceedings for calling
his honor damn fool. find that the
Judge is a damn fool
There was a slight pause when the
newspaper man butted in Talking
about justices courts" said he, Il
believe | was present at the most
laughable trial that has ever taken
place in this state. 1t happened in
the early days of Manhattan. | had
walked into the camp from a neigh
boring locality. AS soon as | landed
was given position on one of the
sheets there and my first detail was
the writing up of the first trial to be
held in the camp. Up to that time
no court room had been erected and
for want of better one, saloon
was pressed into service, behind the
bar of which was stockily built,
under-the-average in height Irish
man. The man being tried had
beaten woman
Il arrived at the court room as the
lawyer for the prosecution was max
ing his argument 1t was a scathing
denunciation of man who would
strike a woman.
A man who would strike
woman should be dead, he thunder
ed. I submit il your honor please
that a man who raises his hand to
one of the weaker sex is lower than
the dog. Your honor will understand
that such is the case and the punish
ment for one of that ilk cannot be
too severe. Now. | want to call the
attention of your honor to this
fact
so saying he turned in the direc-
ton of his honor that he might look
the latter in the eye, but his honor
was not in his seat. A glance around
the room showed the attorney that
the judge was at the bar shaking dice
with the Irishman
The silence caused the Judge to
desist for a spell Turning in the
direction OF the attorney aud catch
ing his eve. bis honor said that, al'