The Cairo bulletin., 1910-07-28
WHAT SHE KNEW
ABOUT LAW
BY ANNA MARSH
Copyright, 1910, BY American Press
Association

| II Association.
-: -.
| There was II ring ut the doorbeli o
Mr.. Silas Eentley's residence TIL,
| butler went To the door. aud MAJ
asked 10 see Mr. Bentley If he was a
| home and Mrs. Bentley If he was no
| a, :.G-'1e Mrs bentley went down int,
| the hall where the man was waiting.
I'm a constable. maam, and hav,
been sent by the court to make ;
search for certain papers required II
the case of Perkins versus BENTLEY"
Throwing back his coat. he showed /
badge, then took a paper from hi
pocket. which he presented as scared
warrant, Mrs. Bentley knew nothing
of the badge and was not sufficient,
versed in court procedure to discover
II the search warrant was IN form, Sh,
knew that her husband was being suet
By his ex partner In business. and sh,
considered the said ex-partner ras
cal. She gave no thought TO the gen
uineness of the warrant She concen
trated her mind upon the problem OF
circumyenting the search Her hus
band had told her to keep the papers
in question where they would not be
readily found. since it was important
for his own side of the suit that they
be not produced I'm court except upon
the choosing of his own counsel.
Please wait moment" she said
and turned TO go into the library, wher
the man stopped her.
Il can't let you so and hide the pa,
pers." he said. .
Very well. merely wish to con
suit my brother" Then, calling
"Will!' young man of serious. and
intellectual mien appeared Mrs
Bentley told him of the search war.
rant. He examined it, pronounced II
an order from the court and. taking his
sister aside, warned her not to refuse
the man permission to make the search
since she might render herself liable
to severe punishment IL she did-per-
haps imprisonment
Il don't believe he's an officer of the
court at all" said Mrs. Bentley.
why not?" asked her brother.
well. | don't know. His nose IL
crooked. and there is cast In his eye"
That's pretty reason. Do as you
please. but il you get imprisoned for
contempt of court don't blame me-"
Il won't" said Mrs. Bentley.
Mrs. Bentley told the constable to
make the search. He went upstairs,
she following. When he entered "A bed
room to search 1t he ordered her to re
main outside in such commanding
tones that she obeycd. Finally he
came TO a closet wherein was kept the
family silver not in use. An iron door
had been put In to make it doubly safe
1t was locked The man demanded
the key. Mrs. Bentley produced it.
The man opened the door and went
inside. Mrs. Bentley closed it and
turned the key. Then she went down
stairs ara told her brother what she
had done.
He Informed her that she had GER
tainly been guilty of contempt Of
court, Mrs. Bentley, without needing
him, went to the telephone, called up
her husband and told him what she
had done Mr.. Bentley telcphoned his
lawyer. and the lawyer telephoned the
clerk of the court. but found no one
who knew anything about the search
warrant.
II thought he was a fraud" said
Mrs. Bentley to her husband over the
phone.
why SOP"
II don't know. didn't like the looks
of his nose, and he squints,"
She heard laughter through the re.
ceiver.
Well" said Mr.. Bentley. keep him
where he is, and III come right up
I'll bring a policeman"
Mr. Bentley soon appeared with h
genuine cop. They all went to the
closet and unlocked the door, and ou'
stepped the constable.
My eye" exclaimed the cop. IF It
isn't Joe Green, alias Tom Dugan
alias several other names"
Il told yon So said Mrs, Bentley.
Look at his pockets said the COZ
They were bulging with the jewelry
Mr.. Green had picked up while in the
bedrooms. You didn't know him for
what he Is, did you, ma'am?"
mo, but | didn't believe he was
what he pretended to be-"
why not?"
Don't You Sec" Mr., Bentley put in
that his nose isn't straight and he's
cross eyed. That's how she spotted
him. She's no good for logic, but she
hits right conclusions"
MIR. Green was removed to the sta.
ton house. whore he explained that he
had seen In the morning paper that
there was dispute about certain doc
uments In the case of Perkins versus
Bentley, and 1t had occurred to him
that the circumstance furnished
chance for a stroke of genius. Hav.
Ing had great deal to do with courts