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The Green Bag.


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prohibited them from pleading the causes of others, " that they might not intermeddle in such matters, contrary to the modesty befitting their sex, nor engage in employments proper to men." An exception, however, was made in favor of women whose fathers were prevented from con ducting their own suits, owing to sickness or infirm ity, and who could not get anyone else to plead for them.

FACETI^. Many years ago, in Virginia, a case was on trial in which the defendant was accused of shoot ing into a party that had come to " horn" him, a form of country celebration common at that time. Dennis Keeny appeared for the defendant. It was shown that the gun with which the shooting was done was loaded with dried peas instead of lead. Finally a very dirty-looking witness was called, and testified that he had been shot in the right leg. On cross•examination the fellow ap peared rather shifty, and finally Keeny asked him to show the jury the exact spot where the pea took effect. The fellow demurred, saying that the shooting had been done six weeks before, and the wound had healed. At last, with great reluctance, the witness drew up his right trouserleg, exposing a limb well covered with dirt. Pointing to a spot which, if possible, was blacker than the rest, the witness said : — "There; that's where they went in." Keeny turned to the jury, and in his most impressive manner said : — "Gentlemen, I leave it to your knowledge of crops; if peas had been planted in that soil six weeks ago they would be in blossom now." The witness retired in confusion, and Keeny won his case.

At a public dinner in Philadelphia, some years ago, the presiding officer, with a cigar in hand, asked Mr. Kvarts for a match, meaning that that gentleman should hand to him the box just be yond on the table. When Mr. Kvarts said, " I have none, " the presiding officer rejoined, " Very well, I shall have to introduce you as the match less orator from New York." And yet some people say that Philadelphia is " slow."

There were two young fellows of Salem To whom letters were given — to mail 'em. They purloined the contents, About thirty-two cents : It' took live hundred dollars to bail 'em.

In North Carolina last year the Republicans elected some of their judges for the first time in over twenty years, and one of that party was so delighted that when Judge Robinson, one of the new judges, came to hold court, he put on a new suit, including a new pair of shoes, and went to the court house to " see a Republican judge on the bench." He began at the door and his shoes went creak, creakety, creak all the way down till he got near the Judge to get a good view and feast his eyes on the novel sight. The Judge stopped and eyed him, the proceedings stopped, all eyes were fixed on the newcomer with the creaking shoes, whose nervousness and the sudden stillness made the creaking seem louder than ever. When the owner of the shoes had about reached a vacant seat, the judge stormed at him : " Sit down there, "shoes and all." There is now one man in that county who no longer hankers to "see a Republican Judge on the bench."

A printed brief of a Baltimore lawyer, in a case involving the meaning of the Geneva award legislation, contains the following : — "Such a thing as one of the Great Powers of the world providing a bounty for the subjects of another Nationality is quite in advance of any type of civilization to which the Nations have yet attained; it is worthy of remark, however, that for the Nation to take care of its own citizens and award a suitable bounty to the individual citizen, or to whole classes of its citizens, in fit emergen cies, is just the thing that great civilized States do do." Some wag has written on the margin " I thought the ' do do ' was extinct : but here he appears."

NOTES.

Someone remarking to Chauncey Depew while discussing a recently decided railway controversy that the court was "only a toss,up one," the witty lawyer said dryly, " Perhaps so, but I notice that in it heads always win."