The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-02-10

Butte may be better or worse
than It was in the old days." said
Jimmie Brennan, once an Alaskan
musher. ut depends on the viewers
viewpoint. Whether it is better OF
worse, one thing is sure, it will never
be the picturesque camp it once was.
Unfortunately some of the more hu-
mOrOus incidents are SO interviewer
with wrongdoing, official or personal,
that only few good yards can be
printed and go through the mails.
"Take the justice courts of 20 or
IS years ago; they were a scream.
Some of the funniest stories of old
Butte come out of the cld-time lower
courts.
II recall one day I was in Medin s
saloon and two fellows got to fight
ing, and one pulled knife. Tommie
Cosgrove was then constable in Phil
Harrington's court in South Butte.
and he arrested them both. Tom
never bothered about a little thing
like warrant, considering his Come
along wild me- as sufficient. Bob
Leonard and I were standing by and
Tom took US along for witnesses.
ION the way down Tom arrested
two Cinnamon, who had left their
team stand without being hitched.
The Chinks were very badly fright
ened; they tied their team in the al
ley behind the courtroom and sat in
a rear bench. After haggling over
the knife-pulling racket for about
an hour it was settled in some way
satisfactory to court and constable
and the court took recess for 10
minutes.
THE adjournment was made to
Charles saloon and the judge, who
loved his little joke, said, Mr. Bren-
nan, deputize you a constable to
watch those two slant-eyed heathens,
and see they don't get away while
the court takes slight intermission.'
If the court please objected, I
am not much of a drinking man, but
it hurts me to see you all adjourn
to Charles saloon and lap up lot
OF liquor and declare me out. Who
wants to sit around half an hour with
two pigtails while the prosecution,
plaintiff, defendant, court and con-
stable are making merry at the Cab
met bar
lone word more said Phil, and
I'll fine you for contempt of court
Squeeze Leonard thought this
was great joke on me, and as he left
he suggested that if l treated the
Chinks good l might get stand-off
for my laundry or mooch bowl of
chop suey. They all left laughing at
me.
They were no sooner gone than |
one Chinaman came over and said, |
Me in hell of hully. How muchee"
Five dollars, please l said
1T was promptly paid. Then the
other Chink dashed up.
How muchee?'
He was bigger Chinaman than
the other, so I told him his fine was
$3.50. He dug it up in minute,
and I told them to get into their
wagon and beat it while the beating
was good.
Directly I heard the court re-
Cosgrove in the lead. I beat
it to the rear room and begun chop
ping some wood, as the day was ra-
Their chilly.
Where's them Chinks?' demand
ed Cosgrove.
AVA CACy lAClC. kAQ AL. !
nocently. They were there a min
ute ago.
1.-The constable was furious. AS I
it he tried to terrorize me
With the following line of talk:
"'Ye're headed straight for Deer
Lodge and the disgrace will be on yer
family for all time. Yell be lookin'
through the bars and a sintry will be
walkin' the ramparts with a rifle on
his shoulder to see you don't git '
away. According to chapter II. Sec
lion 80, of the revised codes, REIN L
forced by the constitution, yer Of
tense calls for life Imprisonment and l
lin years more If We misbehave. Sor- /;
"a the day that We committed this {
Flagrant offense aginst the power an
1ignity of the law Ii