The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-11-25
WHAT IS THE MATTER
The. Story of a Poor woman in Poor
Court

: week VOTE anu "Ille putting away
a tray full of dishes she slipped on
wet floor and broke all the dishes. The
dishes were worth $12. On account of
this the restaurant manager refused
to pay her weeks wages of So and
discharged her.
She brought suit through young
lawyer, who on account Of personal
friendship, took her case without
charge.
At the trial the terms Of her en-
ployment showed that under the law
she was clearly entitled to her wages.
The justice of the peace who tried the
case was an honest man, but he had
never studied law, and kept a barber
shop. He simply said. IF she broke
any dishes she must pay for them,
and decided against her. She had
been offered better employment out
of the city and was expecting TO leave
within a month and if she appealed
! the case her expenses for coming back
to the second trial would be more
than eight dollars. Hence her weeks
( wages were wholly lost.
/ Most Of the eight dollars was to be
used by Mary in the purchase of
cheap sweater and pair of over-shoes
for her eighteen-year-old daughter,
Ellen. Ellen was taking special stu
dies at the high school preparatory to
becoming a public health nurse to
work among the poor. ..
After the suit was decided the pur-
chase of the over-shoes and sweater
had to be put of. Three days later
heavy wet snow fell while Ellen was
at school. On her return that after
noon her feet were soaking wet and
i.she was thoroughly chilled. The next
morning she was sick. The following
week she died of pneumonia. The fun
eral cost fifty dollars. Mary borrowed
the money from her friends. 1t took
her one year to repay it by extra work
and savings.
Mary had a sixteen year old son
named Bill. At the close of the trial
in the justice of the peace court, Bill
said to the lawyer, II thought you
said the law would give mother the
eight dollars?"
at does" the lawyer replied.
"Why don't she get it?"
Because the judge doesn't know
the law" -.t go
"Why don't he?"
because justices of the peace = in
Missouri don't have to know any law"
Don't any justice of the peace
know any law"
Eyes, some do. The one in the next
district is lawyer"
"Why didn't you bring the suit
there"
because he decides suits according
to influence and politics and the res
taurant owner helped to elect him and
we would surely have been beaten
there"
well, aren't there any judges who
| know the law and are honest too"
ayes, lots of them. The circuit
| Judge is one"
"Why didn't you bring this suit
there, them"
Because nobody can bring a suit
in the circuit court for less than fifty
dollars"
"Why don't they let a poor woman
who hasn't got fifty dollars bring her
suit there too?"
Because there is not enough in the
case to justify a high class court to
bother with it."
Bill went home tina: night and
thought about the law. The next day
he saw little book in a store, entitled
"The Tragedy, Farce and Humbug Of
the Courts" He had often noticed
this book in the window but had paid
: no attention to it. Today he bought
it and read it. 1t stated that if man
did you wrong you couldn't right il
through the courts and the only way
, to get justice was to punish him your
self, and, if necessary, to kill him
= just so you didn't get caught.
The day after his sister died he
heard his mother remark, IF that bar.
. Der had only known the law!"
. What do you meant" ne asked.
/, 81 was going to get Ellen's sweater
and overshoes with that money" she
I SAID. "and if had----D She began tC
: cry. 7.csr .ia.
Bill thought about what their law.
yer had said about there not being
enough in the suit for a 'high elias.
2 coart to bother with" Bill Learned