Arizona republican., 1914-07-17
TRIAL OF JUDGE JEFFREYS

probably no man who was ever placed upon the bench deserved more the fate he met than did the over bearing, drastic George Jeffreys, who for so many years ruled with an iron hand over the courts of Europe dealing out justice and injustice with equal facility. He possessed every attribute that a judge should lack He was partial. arrogant, insolent; in fact, the greatest bully that ever sat upon the bench. Impotence and ferocity, it is said, sat upon his brow.- His yell of fury" as was said by one who had often heard it, sounded like the thunder of q judgment day"
 When still judge of the lower court he practiced methods that stance, when he had the opportunity of ordering an unlucky adventures to be whipped at the carts tail "Hangman," he exclaimed, T charge you to pay particular attention to this lady! Scourge hec soundly man! Scourge her till the blood runs down, It is Christmas: a cold time for madame to strip in See that you warm her shoulders thor oughly!"
 When Jeffreys became chief jus tice there were few indeed who did not tremble before him. It was not uncommon fo, him to come to the bench and pass judgment when he was so overcome with liquor that he could hardly sit in his chair.
 But when the Prince of Orange ar rived and James had abandoned his kingdom. Jeffreys. knowing his un . popularity. endeavored to escape in disguise. There was true retribu- tion in his detection. A scrivener at Mapping, whose trade was to fur nish the seafaring men there with money at high interest had some time before lent a sum on bottomry. The debtor applied to equity for re- lief against his own bond and the case came before JeffreyS. The counsel for the borrower, having lit tie else to do, said that the lender was a trimmer"
 When the man was produced at the chancellor's request he looked fiercely at him. sto:med at him and sent him away half dead with fright. But the day of retribution was to arrive The trimmer was walking through Mapping, when he saw a face at the window of an ale house. The eyebrows had been shaved away. the dress was that of a common sailor from Newcastle, and was black with coaldust; but there was no mistaking the savage eyes and mouth of Jeffreys The alarm was given. In a moment the house was surrounded by hundreds of people, shaking bludgeons and believing curses. The fugitive's life was saved by a company of the train hands and he was carried before the lord mayor.
 When the great man. at whose frown few days before the whole kingdom had trembled, was dragged into the justice room begrimed with ashes, half dead with fright and followed by a raging multitude, the mayor was visibly agitated. Jef- freys became so frightened at the attitude of the mob that he begged to he sent to prison.
 An order to that effect was pro- cured from the lords. who were sit ting at Whitehall, and he was con veyed in a carriage to the Tower Two regiments of militia were called out to escort him and they found the duty a difficult one. It was re- peatedly necessary for them to fo-m as if for the purpose of repelling a charge of cavalry, and to present a forest of bikes to the mob.
 The wretched Jeffreys was in convulsions of terror. He wrung his hands, he looked wildly about and was heard even above the tumult crying, Keep them off, gentlemen! For Gods sake keep them off" Fin ally he was safely lodged in the Tower.
 On the following day, he was ex- amined by deputation of fou: lords. He appears to have petitioned far a pardon from William. ac- knowledging his crimes to have beer as enormous as his enemies anc promising to discover secrets relat- ing to the succession. Confinement
 however, soon began to tell upor l his health. He was. visited by three
 deputies from the king. to all O
 whom he affirmed that the severi'
 ties of the bloody assizes had faller short of the royal demand, and thai
 by his forbearance he had extremel! 1 displeased the king
 Before his case could come tt
 trial and judgment be passed, thu
 one time eminent judge had become
 so emaciated and weak that it would
 have been useless to have carried him to the judgment seat, and h,
 died in prison on April IS, 1889, il the forty first year of his age. Fol
 lowing his death a number of bill
 were allowed against his estate fo
 the recovery of sums that he hat criminally exacted from those wh' had been brought before him as :
 judge.