The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-02-13
LEGAL PHANTOMS.
Many Statutes That Exist Only
In the Imagination.
EXAMPLES OF mo SUCH LAW"
Popular Beliefs Which Have Sprung
Up, No One Knows How. and Become
Fixed Ideas, Vet Have No Founda-
ton In Legislative Enaetnents.

ton In Legislative Enaetnents.
Many people have the idea that II
one owes a bill and goes to his debtor
and tells him that he is willing to pay
and then offers some trifing sum on
account. say 81 or even less per week
or month, the creditor is obliged to
take it, utterly regardless of the fact
that II creditors were obliged to re-.
ceive payment In that way 1t would
put most Of them out of business in
very short period.
There Is no such law.
In the minds of very many people,
especially In the country districts.
there Is another firmly fixed idea that
II one person strikes another first the
person assaulted may then all but
pound the other to death.
There is no such law.
A person assaulted has the right to
defend himself. but he may not use
any more force than necessary to do
that To Use more than necessary
force completely turns the tables, and
the assaulted becomes. the aggressor
and liable for his excess of zeal in
damages commensurate. with the dam
age done. a person has the right to
order an undesirable person. from his
premises and to use sufficient force to
eject him If he does not GO when so
ordered. but he has no right to acceler
ate his movements with one or more
well placed kicks.
Many people who owe bills labor un-
der Il strong impression that it is the
duty of their creditors to come to them
for their money.
There is no such law.
There is proverb which says. THE
borrower IL servant to the lender"
The bank will not come to you If you
owe a note which it holds for cOllec.
ton. Out of courtesy it will send you
a notice that your note is due Dit is not
compelled to do that, but you must
so to the bank to make payment.
In the country frequently and in
the city sometimes one Is told that.
II a person dies leaving children and
grandchildren, the children Of de
ceased child. the grandchildren are not
entitled to the share. of the estate
which their parent would have taken.
as the father or mother having died
there Is no way whereby the inherit.
ance can pass over from the deceased
to the grandchildren-in other words
the line Is broken.
There is no such law:
The statutes expressly provide that
the children of deceased heirs take
the SHARE that would have gone to
their parent
A person owns a fruit tree and its
branches Overhang the land OF his
nelGhbor. Many think because of that
the neighbor is entitled to the fruit
Oh the overhanging branches.
There is no such law.
II the tree sat upon the line be-
tween the estates the neighbOr would
be entitled to one-half of the fruit.
but being wholly on one side the owner
is entitled to all the fruit and may 20
upon his neighbours land and gather II
without being guilty of treSpass. IL
the neighbOr does not like this ar
he may take his AK or saw
and cut the limbs off ut the line be-
tween the estates. but he must throw
them on his neighbours land. as the
wood Of the tree belongs 10 him. The
owner of the tree may not like to have
his tree treated thus. but he cannot
help himself
Two men own adjacent lots OF land.
One wishes 10 hive Il fence between
them; the other does not. Many people
think that one may build the fence and
compel the other 10 pay for half OF it,
There Is no such law.
In such "A ease one owner may call
in the fence viewers and have them
ascertain the line and designate which
part OF the fence each shull build
Neither party. however, can compel the
other ~ build any particular style OF
fence. The mover In the matter may
want n fancy fence, but the other may
build his half Of any material salts
factory u himself, and so long a. il is
. legal Tense he cannot be compelled
10 build any other.
Many shopkeepcrs demand that ind
ers OF lost money or yaMaDles IN their |