El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-03
A SOIOmOnic Judgement
(By Maurice strauss.)

= WAS travelling with a friend on the
steamboat between Sevres and
= Mendon. We were talking about a
certain Partisan judge. whose name
was often mentioned in the papers be-
cause of his Solomonic judgments,
when voice near US exclaimed:
Il don't think your judge compares
with judge Smith
The accent was English, and the airs
of the man unmis ta1ably so.
And VINO is this judge SMITH 1
The EngIishman smiled and told the
following story:
Mr.. Smith was a judge in Bow
street police court and his position
brought him in touch with many peo-
pie accused of petty crimes. While he
was inexOrably stern to the profession
al criminal, he was gentle and lenient
towards the poor man whom want and
starvation had led into crime. He
lived in a little room which cost him
four shillings a week in Shepherdess
Walk near Angel, and more than once
ne had to walk four miles to court
because he had given away his last
pence tO-sOme beggar-
"Once they led into court a big sullea
looking individual who did not answer
a word when the usual questions were
put to him.
answered himself instead:
Your name is James Elliott; you
are SO years old, and lonSshOreman-
You are married and have four chill
dren- This morning at 10 o'clock,
you came back from the docks where
you have been out of work for nine
days. Isn't that sO?"
The man nodded his head ener-
getically-
The judge went on.
70 h.. Had IN
so back home empty handed, you en-
tered into a bakershop in Redclippe,
Highway, hesitated for a moment and
picked up a loaf and ran out A pass
erby, who had seen you. gave the
alarm A policeman arrested you and
you handed the loaf back to the baker,
who had rushed out after you. 1
think L have told your story cor
rectly2"
Again the man grunted and nod
ded his head.
Then the judge turned to the baker
On the witness stand.
When the policeman had returned
your loaf of bread. he asked you to
you still wish to make a complaint
" Certainly, this man should be
punished as a warning to others Of
his kind said the baker.
Very WELL said the judge. Then
turning to the prisoner he said.
q" The baker refuses TO take back
his complaint and the law cOmpels me
to punish you OF course, you did
commit an offence when you took what
did not belong to you, and offences
must be punished, but your poverty
and your earnest efforts to get en-
ployment speak in your favor 1 SEN
tence you to two hours IN prison, and
as you have been under arrest since
this forenoon you have already served
your sentence, and it is the order of
this court that you be released i'm
mediately. To encourage you to be
honest, I ask everyone present here
to follow my example. Officer, come
here
The policeman obeyed.
Take your helmet and pass it
around
Into the helmet the Judge dropped
a golden ten shilling piece, probably
the last one he had. And everyone in
court with the exception Of the baker,
followed his example.
The man granted something unin-
telligible, but the tears that trickled
down into his beard spoke louder than
words.
The baker was about to leave when
the judge called him back.
Just minute 1 am not done
with you. Leave the witness stand
and go into the prisoners dock
The baker obeyed and the judge
continued:
- have no right to criticize you.
You invoked the law and the law gave
YOU its protection Now, in turn. I in
woke the law against you. You are
perhaps ignorant of the fact that there
exists in the civil code a paragraph
which dates from the time of Edward
the Confessor, and which has never
been repealed This paragraph makes
II a punishable offence for a baker to
leave his shop thereby leading the
hungry into temptation. I therefore
sentence you to 4S hours in prison. 1t
Is the maximum punishment, and I re-