Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 10.pdf/442

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Ctje #reen BagPublished Monthly, at $4.00 per Annum.

Single Numbers. 50 Cents.

Communications in regard to the contents of the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor, Horace W. Fuller, 344 Tremont Building, Boston, Mass. The Editor will be glad to receive contributions of articles of moderate length upon subjects of inter est to the profession; also anything in the way of legal antiquities or curiosities, facetice, anec dotes, etc.

old adage, namely, " that he who acts as his own counsel has a fool for a client." The judge at once remarked, " Oh, Mr. Cleave, don't you mind that adage; it was framed by the lawyers."

FAC.ETI.ffi.

Professor Tracy Peck used to tell a story of how a Yale man saved his life. He was about to be hung in Texas for horse stealing and said "Hold on, gentlemen, do you know who you are hanging? I am a graduate of Yale college and here is my diploma." It being printed on vellum in Latin no one could read it, and thinking he must be an important personage they let him go free.

"I hear you had an action brought against you by a man who broke his collar-bone on your door-step. How did the case- go?" "Met the same fate as he did." " How do you mean?" "Slipped upon appeal!" Lord Russell of Killowen, years before he took silk, was sitting in court, when another barrister, leaning across the benches during the hearing of a trial for bigamy, whispered : " Russell, what's the extreme penalty for bigamy?" "Two mothers-in-law," replied Russell. First Juryman. " What did you think when the judge committed Dobson to prison for con tempt of court?" Second Juryman. " I was glad he wasn't a mind-reader." A Texas judge was robbed of a horse not long ago, and the thief, being apprehended, was brought before him for trial. The judge eyed the prisoner with deep satisfaction for a minute or so, and then delivered himself of the follow ing : " Owing to a personal prejudice, the court will not hear this case. It will be tried by the bailiff, who will find a verdict in accordance with the facts. In the meantime," he added, impres sively, "the court will go outside and bend a rope and pick out a good tree." Mr. Cleave, when tried before Lord Lyndhurst in the Court of Exchequer, acted as his own counsel, and began his argument by remark ing that before he sat down he feared he should give an awkward illustration of the truth of the

A Georgia jury recently brought in the follow ing extraordinary verdict. " We, the jury, find the defendant almost guilty." British respectability has been defined in a London police court. A woman, charged with begging pleaded : " I am a respectable tailoress. Why, I make trousers for Mr. Newton, the mag istrate. If I'm respectable enough for that, I'm good enough for anything." And the court sus tained her. This is somewhat reminiscent of the tailor who vainly tried to make clear his identity to the Duke of Wellington. "Why," said he, "general, don't you know me? I made yer breeches." Recognition dawned in the great duke's eyes as he cordially grasped his inter locutor's hand, and exclaimed : " Why, Major Britches, how are you?"

NOTES. The " Gazette de Pekin " recently published a decree of the Emperor of China on which some of our yellow journalists may meditate while thank ing Providence that they are not journalists of the Yellow Kingdom. The Emperor has commuted the sentence of the journalist Nong-tzi to simple decapitation. Such clemency was unlooked for. 40V