davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22
by JACK LAIT

robe, girl Es had known during his early vicissi- tudes. It had been no romance worth apostrophiz- ing in modern Iliad. About the usual thing he met hsf, he liked her, they were in somewhat the same walks and circumstances, there was mutual sympathy, he asked her and she unhestat- ingly accepted, and they were married.
 followed without any high peaks or black canyons, . respectable housewife who enjoyed her mans progress without gloryng in 1t, who liked to be a Mrs. Judge without taking on atrocious airs over 1t, who deferred to his preoccupations and pro- found study just as she would have tolerated his being out nights had he turned out police-court Ambulance chaser
 Ann Msrkison wasn't of quarfelsonne or stri- dent disposition. She would have liked her com panicH more free to join her in simple amuse- nsnts; perhaps she sometimes sighed, when alone, at the thought of how she might have liked him more buoyant, more joculaF houseuate. But her life was not embitteYed. She never nagged and seldom even complained He was fair provider, though she knew they could have been rich had he remained in practice, and he had no pronounced bad habits, which was, of course. . mercy. with courteous fendness, never asked her to share his judicial worries or hurrah over his academic and altrustie tfumphs, always addressed her mild ly, never criticised what she did, and made 1t patent that, feared judge though he was, he did not regard his wife as standing before his bar. it looked as though, in view of everything, they would continue along abovt in statu quo until death or some unforeseen disaster them did part.
 And then came the case of Veronica Catalano.
 Everybody knew Veronica. She had been in trouble and bad been hawked about the news and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22
ARMaNO <EGMlu.--.. ',

now and then from upraised eyes in her dOwncast face, the picture of shrinking, bewildered, har- assed child at bay against wolves, too frightened to fight, too weak to scream.
 A jury was inpaneled, and Judge Markison gave that business his concentrated attention Twelve good men and true, Q typical American dozen-in-the-box, from all walks and rides of citi. zenship. They were scrutinizing the defendant. sitting forward, on edge for the thrill of the int- mate story and the fencing fnesse of legal dueing according to the technical battledore and shuttle cock of procedure.
 The attorneys outlined their sides--one paging the angels to hear and weep over the indignities visited upon sacred society by this cobra, this pred atory tigress; the other inviting the same sera' phn to take heed and shed holy tears over the atrocities visited upon this orphaned stranger in hostile land by the snarling hyenas of intrenched persecution, who would cruelty the newborn infant for one paragraph to appease their hungry blood lust, or butcher lamb to throw fresh flesh to the bowling wolves of pernicious politics.
 Peter Schlimmer, sausage manufacturer, of Hol- yoke, Mass, took the stand. A corpulent vocifer: ous witness he was testifying only because he had patriotic urge for justice, not because that she demon had nicked him for $400 and gbffawed in his face; he had met her, she had insidiously wormed into his confidence, he had taken her to a private dining room, there she had sat on his lap without any suggestion from him, and when he
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22

missed the wallet a.few moments afterward she had drawn poignard, scared him breathlesS, DaeE' ed out and off--wth the $400.
 Two detectives tried to testify regarding nef previous trials, but Judge Markison barred that stuff she having never been convicted. The state closed. The defense called the defendant: Yer ouca catalano arose and Imply started for S. the the attorney who then instructed her precisely how to take her oath and that she must answer questions as asked by himself, by the prosecutor or by Ills Honor.
 All this was apple-sauce to Judge Markson who, however settled in his deep chair and turned to face the witness that he could take into account for judgment of her veracity her demeanor, ex- pressons behavior.
 At that moment she slowly turned her head and her big black blazing, Levantine eyes met the steely searching eyes of John Markison.
 He felt the building rock and the heavens culver; One shaky hand found the edge of his bench and he steadied himself.
 What was this?
 Markison had never loved woman as men who really love love women The thunder and light. hing of infatuation, the daffodils and sonnets of enumeration, the liquid fires of flaming passion had been denied him ,,.
 But they descended upon him, all in one swoop- ing sweeping swish, and sent the sizzles and the shfvers roaring and rattling through his arteries
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22

feature columns many times. A backmailer of the diftest water, . former artists model whom weak men had taught that she could trick and trim them as one strong pitiless man had tripped and trampled her.
 Her beauty was still potential; she might have been twenty-six. Never had she served day in jail, for she had terrorized or cajoled witnesses fascinated jurors and bamfoozled jurists, usually protected herself in advance with plausible cir elmstances enough to raise that tender, inviolate little jigger-a "reasonable doubt"
 This time she had badgered rich, out-of-town sheik, who, being widower and piker, squawked aloud to the listening heavens and the responsive authorities He got half way through his first sem tence before four detectives snickered and whis- pered 'Ronny." And in an hour they had her in hand, and in an hour and three minutes she was in taxi and out on bail.
 The prosecuting officer, having had several ex- asperating, games of shadow and tag with Miss Catalano, got himself an inspiration: She would be placed on Judge Markison's calendar. There was a judge who would wear smoked glasses, gas mask and dehectors against Veronics's vocal music in his ears.
 She heard the tidings with some dismay. Mark
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22

indietmsns is no proes of gylN' that there must De no prejudice against 4t pro1ses- s fore eonviction could bs sustained there must be no reasonable doubt
 The jury went out. Veronica sat In the back of the room. The judgs. heard some delayed turned in twenty minutes. Not guiltXI :.
 Judge Markison adjourned court. He sent his bailiR to ask Veronicas lawyer to return for some triAing item. Veronica came with him. Marh- instructions-l think you wsre--wel, just little well, mean, Judge" she snpsrsd. {
 "Can take you to lupeheon-aAd tell you an Ss1sg SoS nsTss sUf asEsd 5 5udss Msson 'n despite my instTycelons' wSich were word for word as they would have been had you been pros ecuting and not prosecuted" {
 "Why--with pleasure" she answeFed.
 That was the first evening in fifteen years when Judge Markison neither went home nor had work in chambers nor any other duty elsewhere: He facts, opinions, theories. But that hs was con- sS And # t could ever s De proven prove before hm @ he would sentence her to the pententiary. But that he loved her as never had man adoyed woman. word as for hsr s SE rssS aS and be only a man.
 Mrs. Markison, who sensed nothing unusual for days, being not deeply analytical or used to dis secting her husbands looks, phrases and thoughts, walked into Judge MarkisonS chambers at the noon recess three days lster-she wanted some currency for geranurn seeds. Her husband was in the arms of dark, palpltating young woman, their lips pressed in kiss which even Mrs Marki- son could not nisinterpret.
 They did not see her or hear her. She watched the picture for a full minute, then noiselessly closed the ponderous door and walked away. puzzled, blinking, trying to gather her thoughts
 'Ill let those geranium seeds so for a whle,' she concluded, and returned home.
 That night she told him, without fireworks, what she had seen--and she asked him who the woman was He told her. She asked him what the woman was to him. He told her She asked him what he thought should be done about it. And he told her:
 q sent her away. I tried myself and sem fenced myself-oh, 1t wasn't much of case, the plea was guilty. Now must resign and will do so immediately. It couldn't go on without staining staining the bench. After I am off the bench cannot resume, because taint ex-judge makes the people think and realize are only flesh and bone, and that is dangerous. I fell. No one else must ever know of this-do you hear, Ann?"
 "Yes, John. . And I'm glad over the way it turned out Now you'll be home nights mores and we can get car, can't wei"
 "Yes," sobbed John Markison.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22
cAES cHonorS cHoH0r
. EHoLD the judgei

In E6U1U the yudgeI tH His is hard place to get to and harder
 one to be in. He is expected to be stern, severe. rigid as ramrod and cold as the hesrt of loan shark
 Other important figures in society and civiliza- tion may bend; President can pitch the first ball, King can jazz at Biarritz, Senator can be an after-dinner wit, an editor can keep cellar poet can have affairs with tragedienne, a banker can have them with a .comedienne-all others of the high and mighty are allowed the one-half of one per cent in the human calculation.
 But not judge.
 Who ever heard of jurist cutting up2 Who ever heard of one capering?
 Nobody. And if there are cases where judges 80 far forget themselves as to blow of steam or step on it bit, even outside court hours, those are cases where esteemed members of the digni- fled and didactic bar have lost caste, have shocked the rest of us who do the things we wouldn't countenance in our judiciary.
 And the judges do keep themselves remarkably free from such eyebrow-raising. Very rarely does one hear of jurist in matrimonial difficulties or > personal entanglements; financially they almost all almost always inpeccable; politically they are surely the least vulnerable of our public officials.
 Yet the poor birds must be something like flesh and blood under their robes and under their skins must sputter and bubble like Kilauea without that volcan6's occasional belch of laughter and lava.
 unOSv o1 GuStu gre nlALtlcug 50 ht eoiFp uIA9 0E other they had to dry the dishes or walk the kid or lie about letter or snore or miss a train or step>Sn the soap or something nanifesting Adams breed. 2
 Yes, some of them must have been bitterly tempted, too, by the big ones and the little ones, the blondies and the. hrunettes, the horses. and even the skipping cubes, mayhap cen the boot legger's bottled imp.
 But who ever knew it? The judge is in q realm all his own. He is still the tyrant exempt from privileges of free speech One may not wear hat before him and get home for dinner. He sits, the referee over life, liberty and the pursuit of other peoples happiness None may express contempt for him, no matter how burning or how honest that contempt may be. Where he is we must keep "order'-and "order'' means to do as he wants, come when he calls, speak when he instruets, shut sit down or be dragged dewn and out when he descends finger
 For that he pays the price when he isn't in his court and we aren't in his court, either Then we sing and gamble and intrigue and kiss our neighbours wife and twiddle at the ends of our noses the thumbs we keep at our sides when in his presence. But he, the martinet, he must be- have, for convention and tradition hold him down more securely and more supinely than even court Im. i'd, Aa.~.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22

nad cnangea ner u s U al flaming, conquering re- galia which had hypnotized sap jurors and nnes- merized sa g 6 j u d g e s. She tripped in a la Madonna, mod estly and almost poorly attired, her eyes down, her hands limp. She folded into hen chair and sat, venturing only to loo k about the room
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22

ison was tabulated by all crooks and hawks as hard-boiled baby, a turtle without a sense of humor or an itching palm. Her lawyer turned every twist for switch, but this case had been anchored. At last he filed afidavits for change of venue; which Judge Markson threw out on the grounds that any allegations charging him with prejudice" were absurd.
 The lawyer then asked change of venue on the plea that perhaps the request for a; change of venue had planted prejudice. Judge Markison gave him lecture from the bench to the effect that an honest judge with vocation could have no prejudices; could not dierentiate between fish and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22

their clumsy efforts to pick the lock o5 his side door and those whom he had coldly hlliped into their ignoble places when they matched their hob- nailed wits against his white scintillant wisdom.
 Judge Markison had extraordinary courage Clanor meant nothing in the judgment of bis trained, equitable nnfnd He could no more be panicked than he could be reached. The arro- gance of the whimperng weak got no synthetG sympathy with him any more than did the swag gering presumption of the bullying strong.
 With women he was equally mperturbable Baby vamps got no further than sinuous sorceresses; weeping widows, betrayed maidens, prosecuting amazons, even the generally immune nan-shooters all got from Judge John Markson just what he in his righteousness and within his lights judged to be just, as measured by the law and the evil dence.
 If Judge Markison ruled "Strike it out" the forbidden matter was expunged from his mind as 1t was from the record. His brain clicked only to the intrinsic precious metals-the evidence and the law--and the baser alloys dropped through into the bottomless basin and never touched 8 nerve or a cell as it slid off,
 His private life was a eonventionaly, reasonably serene one. He had married, before he rose to the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22

seiecteds Ghere he had dragged her into his arms, offered her dirty money for -for--for what was more precious than life; she had repulsed him; he had pur- sued, overpowered her as he leered with bestial and bloodshot pig-eyes; she had brought forth the little dag ger her sainted mother had given her to use If ever her honor were assailed in the last ditch-yes, that dagger tho police had found in her stocking and the $400 they had found in her waist must she tell? Yes, she must. That degraded man had thrust 1t there, by force, at the climax of his unspeakable demands, and she had been too mortified at the deed and at the thought to think of it again until the police natron had bounced upon 1t when she was searched.
 Now and a ain she turned from the jury to the judge, and then her devas- tating eyes met his and he ran torrid and frigid.
 That was the evidence. The lawyers summed it up, each vilifying the motives and methods of the other. Judge Markison, with steady voice, then instructed the jury:
 If they believed defen. dant. no offense had been committed; if they believed the state, defendant was guilty of grand larceny from the person; the charg- es of carrying concealed weapons, confidence game, assault with intent to kill,
 must not be considered ex- cept as evidence germane to the issue, which must stand or fall on an indict- raent for the larceny; that defsndant'S sex or attrac- tive appearance must not be a consideration, that an
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22

fowl; must hear the evidence, apply the law and find the verdict with inapersonal, bioodless, passionless precis- ion, incision and decision. Call the defendant,
 Veronica Catalano was summoned from an ante chamber. For Markison she
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22
His Robe, Under; His Skin---Behold
 the Judge!

He dragged himself together-he was judge.
 She testified in ingenious, lisping twitters: that wicked old man had made advances to her, he had made her rbelieve-unsophistcated child and trust ing tyro that she was-that his interest was fatheriy; she had gone to dinner with him, never dreaming what sort of place he had cslculatngly
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22

room dec0rum and JuflSdlctl0n trannnel us; and if he breach the ags-old rule of "Order out of court" his punishment is. swift, sure, final, non-repeal. able. A
 ! John Markison was 8 judge. % Like most judges, he had not been born a judge. No, he had been reared as a newsboy, then an ambitious youngster who battled and labored his way through college, then an impe- cunious young barrister facing all the staggering and sustained exasperations of that situation, where he couldn't get clients because he had no practice and couldn't get practice because he had no clients.
 A natural fighter, beyond the mob in force and intelligence. he slowly but decisively began to get a foothold in ward poli- tics. And because he had, drag rather than because anyone be- lieved hehaN profundisy Or elo- quence, he began to get cases. These drew others. He pros pered, he progressed. His name became known. He declined public office because there was but one he eraved.
 And in time he won that. He was elected to the bench.
 With no embarrassing obliga- tions, and with great good faith and. a hot resolve to do right, to serve and elevate the revered estate intrusted him, he looked his God and his flag in the eye and breathed from the bottom of his. heart the oath of honor.
 Every man born of woman is : in the scales of doubt when he first assumes a trying trust. John Markison, Judge Marki- son, was yet to be weighed. And by every test, through every temptation, he came through like the living granite; true servant, a mighty master. above reproach and beyond suspicion.
 The gnats of pusillanimous politics soon quit trying to shoot birdshot at this impenetrable boulder of incorruptibility. The shysters soon stopped trying to put their shabby subterfuges past this keen vision. Yet all respected. hSqn, most of all those
 I. 4I.-.-.,,y, I1alr fv1
Evening star., 1924-07-08

The assistant secretary of the
Navy, Col. Theodore Roosevelt has
returned to Washington after spend
ing July 4, with Mrs Roosevelt and
their children at oyster, Bay.
Evening star., 1924-07-08

has gone to New York and IL visit
ing Mrs. Fred Kohl. at her apart
ment on East SD street.
Mrs. Kohl will sail from New York,
August z. to spend the remainder of
the season In Scotland.
Mr.. Samuel Tudor Duke OF North
Carolina. is the guest of Mr.. and
Mrs. John C.. Duke at the Roosevelt
Hotel.
Mr.. and Mrs. Frederick T. F. John
son. have returned to their apartment
in the Mendoza, after a ten-day stay
at the Chalfonte, Atlantic City.
The marriage of Miss Dorothy Nc
kelden Powell. daughter of DR.. and
Mrs. Ralph Emerson Powell of Lin
wood Pa. to Ensign Hugh Peters,
o'clock in st. Adams Church, the
Rev. Charles T. Warner oficiatinE
The ceremony was followed by a re-
ception for the immediate families and
Maj and Mrs. James Luke Frink
Cut flowers and palms were used both
in the church and home.
The bride was given In marriage by
bridal satin made on simple lines
with a cascade of duchess lace fall
ing from the left side Of the skirt and
court train of satin. Her tulle veil
was neld by coronet or lace and
orange blossoms. and she carried a
shower bouquet of bride roses and
lilies of the valley.
Miss Alice Elizabeth Kaufman OF
Montreal was the maid Of honor and
wore a gown of orchid georgette
crepe, made with close fitting bodice
and bouffant skirt, girdle Of satin
ribbon marking the waistline. She
wore a bandeau Of French flowers in
her hair and carried pink sweet peas
The bridesmaids were Miss Elsie
NJ. v. Peter of Greenvflle, S. c., sister
OF the bridegroom, and Miss Marjorie
McKehen Frink, and they wore
georgette crepe frocks in pastel
shades of pink and blue. made sim
liar to that of the maid of honor:
bandeaux as hair ornaments and car
ried pink rosebuds.
Little Alice Mcintosh Frink and
Evening star., 1924-07-08

Polly Frink were the flower girls and
they wore dainty frocks of white
organdy and carried baskets of white
Ensign Caldwell Huske was the
best man and the ushers were Ensign
| s. w. Price, Ensign w. R Jones, En-
sign e. A Taylor and Ensign L. p.
Mrs. Powell wore a gown Of orchid
crepe romaine. with a bandeau in
her hair, and Mrs. Frink was in a
gown OF fiame-color georgette crepe.
Following the reception Ensign
| Peters and his bride left for we'd
ding trip to Lake George, the latter
wearing a dark blue suit, with a
! small tailored hat They will later
go to Provincetown, Mass, to spend
some time before sailing for the
| orient.
| Among the out-of-town guests were
| Mrs. George Y. Kaufman, Mr..
Bragrove McKelden. Kaufman of
Montreal, Prof. and Mrs. Chester e.
| Dimick OF New London, Conn. and
The bride is the Granddaughter of
| the late Mr.. William Bragrove Nc
kelden of an old Washington family.
Family Party to Witness
Pafmieri-Lancaster Wedding.
An attractive wedding took place
last Saturday aftsrnoon at the home
of the brides parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
Frank II. Lancaster, 6615 Harlan
place, Takoma Park, when their eId-
est daughter, Miss Elsie Agnes Lam
caster, and Mr.. william Macmillan n
Palmieri of New York were married.
Only the members of the family were
present. The bride, on her mother's S
side. is a descendant Of the Caldwells
Of Virginia and the Magruders of
Maryland. She is a graduate of the
Boston School of Physical Education
and Is we'll known in amateur theatri-
cal circles in this city
| Mr.. Palmieri served two years in
the late war. He Joined the British
| hying corps, and was transferred to
| the 326th Field Signal Battalion. 7th
Continued on Ninth Page.)
Evening star., 1924-07-08

J. Esgate of Marion, Iowa. and Miss
Lena B. Shaw of Jersey City, N. J.
Besides the guests of honor those en-
joying Mrs. Kings hospitality were
Mr.. and Mrs. Clarence Hubbard, Mr.
and Mrs. P. c. Crewe. Mrs T. A Tur-
ner, Mrs. John NJ. Duryee. Miss Ruth
Gest, Miss Emma c. Tyler, Miss Ber-
nice Turner, Miss Harriet Gibson
Miss Bess Voris, Miss Helen and Miss
Edith Esgate and Mr. Arthur Gist of
Seattle, Wash. Later in the evening
Mrs. John NJ. Duryee entertained the
party at cards at 1904 Lowell ST
Mr.. F.. T. Sullivan entertained at
dinner last night on the New Willard
roof, having sixteen guests.
Miss Betty Alexander, younger
daughter of Mrs. James E Alexander.
Evening star., 1924-07-08

who have closed their house prior to
going to Michigan for the summer,
are staying at Wardman Park Hotel.
Mrs. Henry Nicholson Lamar. who
was formerly Miss Phyllis Shackei-
ford Moore, who has been vistttng
her uncle, DR.. William Ernest Hart
Of Pittsburgh. Pa, has gone with
them on a motor trip to Toronto
Canada.
Mrs. Paul s. Pearsall will leave
Washington July 81 for Atlantic city
where she will be the guest OF ner
mother. Mrs. Phillip Hichborn, at the
Brighton. Mrs, Pearsali plans TO
make occasional trips to Atlantic
City to visit her mother during the
remainder of the summer.
Mr.. George L. Williams has gone
to New York for a few days visit
prior to sailing on the Leviathan
Saturday to spe I'd the summer IN
Europe. He will return to Washing
ton September Is, after a tour OF the
continent and England.
Mrs. Wilson-Greene left Washing
ton this morning preparatory to sail
ing for Europe on Wednesday on the
steamship Aquitania. She will ac-
company her brother. Mr.. Edwin l..
Wilson, who will attend the Amer
lean Bar Association convention in
London.
Mrs. Alanson L. King entertained
at dinner at the Grace Dodge Hotel
Saturday evening in honor of Mrs. E.