Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-01-26
Shepherdstown Jefferson County, West Virginia. Thursday January
A Story ON Judge Jackson.

The late Judge John ]. Jackson of the
United States count for the district oi
West Virginia was Justly the terror oi
evil doerS. Violators OF the federal stat
utes received little mercy at his hands,
as rule, and justice was dealt out with
stern severity. But there was under the
hard exterior Of Judge Jackson a softer
side, with which a few who knew him
best were familiar.
Special circumstances had more than
once been seen to move him TO pass a
light sentence upon convicted prisoner,
giving him only the Semblance OF what the
law provided. The following circum-
stances will illustrate how the Judge was
sometimes moved to sympathy for the
lawbreakers, though for reasons which
were obvious, he rarely ever related the
story; but as the judge has long since
been gathered to his fathers, and as
heard the story often, will tell you how
the iron heart of "the iron Judge" was
softened:
At term OF court in July, 1897. an un-
usually large number of moonShInerS,
men and women, were sentenced for
making, receiving and selling Illicit whis-
key. Finally woman entered, woman
of the mountains, sad faced and detected;
her slimpey gown of faded blue calico
hung loosely on her angular figure; a
"Slat' Sunbonnet was held in one nerve
less hand; encircled by her right arm
baby, sad-faced and detected as its moth
er. frightened by the unusual surround
ingS, hid its face on her shoulder. In
the woman's eyes was look OF appeal,
though to the customary query as to
whether or not she had anything TO say
why sentence should not be passed upon
her, she answered nothing, looking at
the Judge with a mute fear, wordless
plea.
A softer expression came over the face
of the Judge; gleam ofsympathy lighted
his eyes.
elbow old is that chiId2" he asked.
The woman looked up, and heSitated
tlmidly.
Don't be frightened. Tell me how
old your baby is"
eleven months, sir"
"Have you any others?"
eyes, sir"
Chow old are they?"
"Willy's 10; Sam he's 7; and Mary'S
s."
"Your husband is not here?"
The woman drew back little and did
not answer.
"Her husband was not captured, yoer
honor" said deputy marshal.
"Um-m-m. Thirty days" said the
judge, musingly, and then pronounced
the lighteSt sentence that had been given
that day. The woman was led out by
an officer and the business Of the court
went on as before, until another woman,
counterpart of the first, stood before the
bar. She, too, carried baby, and she,
also, received as light sentence as the
statute provided. BY and by there came
a third, and she, like the other two, pore
a baby in her arms, and got off easily.
When the fourth woman, also with a
baby, came in, the Judge turned TO court
official:
"Mr. Bailiff, how many women are
yet to APPEAR"
~About ten, your honor"
"Have they all got babieS?"
mo, your honor"
"How many Of them have children in
their arms?"
"None of them. your honor"
"None of them? How is that?"
"There's only one baby, your honor,
they've been swapping that one around
and taking turns bringing it up here"
The judge looked at the sad faced wo-
man and the sad-faced baby.
six months and $780," he said, and
the sad-faced woman went slowly from
the court room, the sad-faced baby look
ing back over her shoulder at The Judge
-HampShire Review