The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1913-12-04
MENACE OF BENCH
English Judge an Example of Un-
curbed Judicial Power.
-Jeffries Was Vnfamous-Dearly Loved
to Talk and Took Delight In Tor
lures He Inflicted Upon All
the Court.

London.-There is no better source
Of human interest" stories than an
old law book. Though centuries have
passed since the quaint, stiff phrases
on the yellow edged pages were warm
breath in the mouths of living men,
the great human tragicomedy was as
tragic and as comic then as now,
Take Corbett's State Trials" for In
stance. It was printed only a little
over a century ago, but contains re-
ports of proceedings from the earliest
period of the English courts.
The infamous Judge Jeffries pres1d-
ed over the trials reported in volume
10, 1880 to 1856, and it Is sickening
record. Under the bloodthirsty laws
of that time, an unfit Judge could
commit atrocities such as we can hard
ly bring ourselves to read of nova
days. There are pages of dialogue
in the old law books, however, where
tragedy hides for moment behind
roaring farce, and we forget our hor-
ror while we gasp and stare and laugh
at the extraordinary antics which
man, insane with power, could de-
scend to.
Jeffries evidently liked his job, for
one thing. The ancient and dign1hed
Court of Kings's Bench was to him
simply the place where nobody could
keep him from doing as he pleased.
He liked to talk, to contradict people,
to bully them, to scare them, to lee
ture them, to get even with those
against whom he had grudge; and
the bench was his chance.
Entirely characteristic was his re-
spouse to poor Joseph Hayes, charged
with high treason on the back of
letter which he insisted he never
wrote, and who asked for counsel, OBJ
jecting to certain evidence:
You are under a mistake; some
body has put it into your head and
pulled you up with a vain story;
there is no such thing, 1t is fiction,
a mere within, only said by Mr. Sid
ney and no ground in the world for
it," exploded the Judge.
Hayes meekly but unwisely ventur7
ed to inquire: WAS it not so in the
case of my Lady Carr? There Is a
record Of that, l suppose?"
1T was not 80. Don't talk of It;
there was no such thing at ALL" the
court snapped.
Hayes persistence in this matter
was particularly unwise because he
was right as to the record. Nothing
made Judge Jeffries madden than to
be opposed by somebody who was In
the right. He was evidently still
peeved when, q little later, Hayes
again raised some point of evidences
and asked for counsel.
mol" roars his lordship. ''It is an
idle whim, and would fain know the
counsel that put that foolish notion
into your head"
IF you will allow me counsel"
pleads Hayes, desperately, you shall
hear who they are; have been told
the law is So"
I'VE are of another opinion" OBJ
serves Judge Jeffries grandly. IF
any whimsical notions are put into
you by some enthusiastic counsel, the
court is not to take notice Of their
crochets."
II am not man Of that quality"
protests Hayes, later, ito give Sir T.
A. $50 guineas." And then the court
had its chance:
1--WE all know you have been a very
active man, a busy fellow about the
city; as forward spark as any
know of a great while. / don't know
what you talk Of your quality, but we
know your qualifications; you have
always been factious and turbulent
against the king and government"
One trouble with Judge Jeffries was
that he wanted to be the whole show
Judge, jury attorneys. complainant,
witnesses and everything else. He
evidently would have liked to be the
executioner, too, judging from the rel
ish with which he dwelt on the pun
ishments it was in his power TO in
fict.