The judge was startled, as the testimony of the very rocks themselves rang through the court-room. The witnesses and the usual hangers-on were surprised and amused. "Hear! hear! ye men of peace, who love the quietude of your own homes," shouted the attorney for the plaintiff; "hear the sounds of their midnight revelry, your honor; the protest of nature herself, when her slum ber of the ages is disturbed! Shall we sub
ject this fair lady—her beautiful daughter, and their friends, to this reign of pandemo nium in the early hour of dawn, when slum ber is the sweetest,—when dreams are the fairest and most real?" The judge thought not. The testimony of the rocks was '. onvincing. A temporary in junction was granted, which was later made permanent.
GREAT CRIMINAL JUDGES. IN an interesting article in the Pall Mall Gazette, E. B. Bowen-Rowlands relates the following anecdotes, among others: Lord Chief Justice Coleridge had a curi ous habit on the bench of leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes, and this oftentimes led the unwary to conclude that he was asleep. 1 remember on one occasion, the trial of a prisoner for setting fire to a dwelling house. Counsel for the defence was much upset through his ignorance of the chief's habit. Throughout the day, he had been trying to g-et before the jury the fact that a man other than the prisoner had openly threatened to burn down the particular house. Each at tempt was frustrated, but when the argument •for the defence was begun, Lord Coleridge went off into his usual doze and counsel saw his opportunity. "Gentlemen of the jury," said he, "let me come to another and more serious point; we have heard from the wit ness that a certain Bill Smith had, prior to the fire, been dismissed by the prosecutor from his service. Now gentlemen, I can tell you something"—"but not about Mr. Wil liam Smith, I'm afraid," came from the bench in gentle tones, which conveyed no sense of irritation or annoyance.
I remember a most curious case being tried at the assizes before Sir James Htzjames Stephen many years ago. A young girl was charged with administering poison with intent to murder, and the facts pointed to a scale of almost unparalleled crimes. Her master was a veterinary surgeon, who kept many of his drugs, including poison, in an unlocked cupboard in the dining room. This was well known to the members of the house hold, and perhaps to practically remonstrate with him for his carelessness, and no motive of any sort was suggested by the prosecu tion,—the girl poured enough aromatic vin egar into his soup to kill a township. He drank, but was overdosed and escaped death. The girl then mixed strychnine with the chil dren's food and brought the household to death's door with other poisonous drugs; but incredibly, almost the whole family recov ered, and the girl was placed on her trial. The defence had only the alleged careless ness of the veterinary surgeon to work upon, since the case was too clear to admit of doubt. But the prisoner was acquitted, the astound ing result which was brought about in this wise. The prosecutor came late to the court and kept the judge waiting. The result was that the much-poisoned man was deprived of
