Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-04-18
Humorous department.
humors Of the Court.

In the summer of 1881 man named
Jones disappeared from his home in
small Canadian town and although
dIligent search was made, no trace of
Thin could be found.
y After a lapse Of about two months,
the body Of man was found in the
Swoods not far from the Jones home.
The body was much decomposed and
the clothing discelored and worn by the
weather. Yet Mrs. Jones identified the
remains as that Of her husband and
had him buried in the family lot.
Z Whatever property Jones, was possess
ed Of was disposed Of In a legal man
ner by the probate court.
Nothing more was heard Of this case
for about a year, when Jones turned
up alive and WELL Mrs. Jones would
;not recognize him as her husband.
,I7 She declared in no uncertain tones
'that Jones, her husband, was buried in
the family lot. .,...
d. Jones appealed to court hoping to
Iregain his property; but as his death
was a matter Of record and his goods
disposed Of by the court, there must be
some way found to bring him back to
life" .s...
This was done by having him ar
rested on a small charge. On his ap-
peal his case was carried to high court,
where 1t finally reached jury.
Some of the men on his jury attend
ed the funeral of Jones, saw him laid
away In the grave, and perchance they
thought that when a man died and the
last honors paid him, he Ought to stay
dead" However, they returned this
verdict: =
I'VE find him guilty Of disorderly
conduct at funeral"
Sam Stropper had been accepted as
Juror In murder trial by the defence.
The district attorney took him in hand
now. ....
. Have you any conscientious scr
nples against the death penaltyT .'
H"Yes, sir" y
srNow, Mr.. Stropper, If someone
should kill your wife wouldn't you feel
satisfied to see her murderer hang"'
..s"I have no WIFE," .....
4 "But II you had?"
y, Then it would depend on what kind
of wife had"
:, Sam Stropper was excused.
The case had been ably argued by
distinguished counsel: Hon. Enoch
Foster, later justice of the supreme
judicial court of Maine, for the plain
tiff; and for the defendant, by Hon.
John p. Swasey, later a member oi
congress from the same state The
jury was considering the case in thelr
room, much being said about the plain
tiff and defendant. An over-zeaious
member of the panel. after listening at-
tentively to the arguments pro and con
of the fellow jurors, exclaimed:
"'"I don't Know who is 'piaintitf or
WHO is defendant, but am for Enoch
Foster first, last and all the time.
This story was told few years ago
In the presence Of Judge Foster, who
smiled, but without comment. ed.
.......... ........
In the History Of Saco and Bidde-
ford" by George Folsom. published in
1880, it is explained that "The town
commissioners, or justices for the trial
Of petty cases entered their doings In
the town book"
A number of such entries follow
perhaps the most unique, not TO say
naive, Of which is this:
Verdict Of jury of inquest: The
27 Of the 10 month, 1868. A jury being
sumoned on account of the death OF
Mary Halle brought in this verdict
viz: We Of the jury about Mary
Halle have agreed that according TO
evidence given to us that shee was ac-
oessary to her own death with over
much eating and drinking; we not
having any witnesse that shee was