Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 15.pdf/497

THE Missouri Legislature is not much years' rcclusion, or solitary confinement as it respected now. It seems not to have been is understood in France, is not only a rigor held in any greater veneration in some parts ous, but a terrible penalty. Our own code of the State 64 years ago. A man who was offers no parallel to it, and it is probable that life sentence of penal servitude in this looking through some old records of Macon county a short time ago found the following country would be far more easily endured. remarkable order, which was spread upon The solicitude of the prisoner en reclusion the records of the Macon County Court in is all but absolute. The strictest silence is June, 1839: Ordered that the law passed enforced. Presumably the consolations of by the Legislatures of 1838 and 1835 respect religion—whatever they may amount to in ing groceries and dramshops be null and so dreadful a situation—are not entirelywithheld; otherwise the prisoner is forbidden void in Macon county." It seems the Leg to speak, even to his guardian. Books are islature had curtailed the privileges of groc ers and dramshop keepers more than was denied, and (which must be almost the worst to the Macon County Court's liking. In infliction of all) the most complete idleness is enforced; no employment of any description August, 1839, the court followed up the fore may mitigate the appalling vacancy of days, going fine piece of impudence with the fol lowing order: The law passed by the weeks, and years. Half-an-hour's exercise is allowed daily, in a hood which covers Legislature the I3th of February, 1839, re specting grand jurors is hereby rejected, and everything except the eyes. This horrible that there shall not be any compensation al life in death may end in the tomb, but is lowed for such service." The members of more likely to end in the padded cell of the this bold tribunal were Elvan Allen, Philip maniac.— The Law Times. Dale and Lynn Dabney. They seem to have made themselves immensely popular in the "EPHEM, s'pose de good Lawd should county by their revolutionary methods. At come down an' look inter yer eye an say, its next session, however, the Legislature 'Ephem, what hab yo done wid all those served notice on them to quit the law-re chickens dat yer hab stole?' What would pealing business informing them that the say?" State Constitution had given it an absolute yer"Parson, I might say dat my old 'ooman monopoly of that line of industry. Sheriff cooked em, but you knows dat a man ain'f Jefferson Morrow heartily concurred in and carried out all the orders of the court, and, bound to testify agin his wife." despite his temerity, lived to be the oldest ex-sheriff in Missouri.—Exchange. OF Samuel Warren, Queen's Counsel and author of Ten Thousand a Year, a writer in Times tells the following story: "AND if I should begin suit against him TheAnLaw old friend of his, Davison by name, for breach of promise," asked Miss Passay, looking in upon him at his chambers, found "and prove by numerous witnesses that he him absorbed in the case, which, he said, proposed to me, is there any possible way took up all his time, and left him no leisure he could escape paying me damages?" for the many social functions he ought to "He might," replied the attorney, thought adorn with his presence. "We ought to fully. "He might set up a plea of insanity." dine tonight," he continued, "with Lord and Lady Lyndhurst, but I have been obliged to SOME of the comments in the English refuse on conscientious grounds." "Oh!" Press on the sentence passed upon Mme. said Davison; "I am invited, too, and am Humbert and her husband (the other pair of going to dine with his lordship. I will men culprits came off more lightly) betray a very tion that I have found you overwhelmed imperfect appreciation of its nature. Five with work." "I would rather you did not