The daily Alaskan., 1915-10-29
A WISE
 JUDGE
By OSCAR COX

When the war between the states ended and the colored man was en- dowed with citizenship a grave re spOnsibilIty was placed upon him for which he wasn't prepared. In one of those regions where the negroes were very numerous and white men very few one of the former found himself in possession of a justices court.
 The makeup of thls dispensary of justice was somewhat crude. A judge was found who had done the cleaning of the courthouse, a prosecuting attor- ney in one who had belonged to a law yer, but for counsel no one could be obtained except q few darlies who had been tried for various ofenses and had by observing lawyers methods picked up here and there bits of court routine.
 Moses Doggett, late the property of Colonel Redfeld Doggett, wUs the judge before whom a negro with no other name, so far as was known, than Pete was brought on a charge of hay ing i'll treated his wife, Susan. She as the principal witness was called to the stand.
 "Teu the cOu't wha' Pete gone done to yOu," said the judge.
 Pete he de mos good fo' nuttIn nlg- ger in de state of Alabama. Now he got free he tiuI he hain't got nottin' to do but sit out in de sun am sleep. I says to Pete, Cit up an go to wo'k. How yo spec desc chirn gwine to git anyting to eat ef yo' don't earn not tin'T Pete he say: T hoin't got no wo'k. To go on wid de washin', an I tak 1t to do owner an bring back de pay I jist pick up Q rollin' pin, an split 1t on he skull"
 "YO' honah," said the defendants counsel, q thought 1t was Pete mis- treated Susan, not Susan mistreated Pete"
 "Yo', Pete" said the judge, "yo' take de stan an tell de cot yo' side ob de question:"
 Pete obeyed the order and stood roll ing his eyes about till admOnished to speak in bis defense of the charge made by his wife.
 'Uain't got no wife" he said.
 "Hain't got no wife? How dat?"
 ''NIa wife, Chloe, wha' I married fus' down in Louisiana, air de only wife got. When I was sold Nn' separated from her un' de chil'n ma heart was broke. De mex year I married one ob de nigger women belongin' to ma new marster."
 "Yo' didn't get no divo'ce from yo' fus wlfe2' asked the defendants coun- seI.
 q didn't get no divo'ce. 1 jest mar rled ag'in. Two years arlcr dat ma marster lose a cotton crop uu' We was all sold out. ne an ma wife hein' sold to different mHrstcrs. Den l married anudder wife"
 An yo' didn't get no divO'ce from Ge second wife| asked pCte's counsel.
 NO. suh l didn't get no diyO'Ce from Cc second wife I didn't keer fo' no diyo'ce from none ob 'em. Ma heart was true 10 ma fus' wife, Chloe"
 How many wives have you got| asked the prosecuting attorney, with a view to cOndensing this dlRuse state ment.
 "I don't know. had de bad luck to change marsters mighty often, an every time I was sold I married a new wife"
 "Is Susan de las'?"
 "Sue, she de las"
 "Yo' honahr" said defendants coun- sel, q ask fo' de .discha'ge ob de pris- oner on de groun' dat he couldn't mis- treat he wife when he hain't married to de wife he mistreated."
 How many husbands have you had, SusanT' asked the judge.
 q got one in Mobile, anudder in New Orleans an NnUdder somewha' in Souf Carolina"
 How do you know they are in those places% !
 q don't. I married 'em dar."
 The judge looked up at the boards which constituted the ceiling in mute deliberation. He was a grave looking old darky and In his heart aimed to be just But the problem was how to be just legally. The two In this case l seemed incompatible.
 "De persecutin' attorney will sum up | an de counsel fo' de prisoner will sum up, den de cou't will glb her decision" :"
 ''I hain't got nuthln' to say" said the