THE LIGHTER SIDE to be over by the time for the meeting of court. Joseph Ritter, the court crier in those days, had more concern about the dispatch of the business of the court than he had for that of the Democratic County meeting; and near the time appointed for the meeting of court, he would have the prisoners on the outside of the court-room to be brought in for trial immediately after the adjournment of the meeting of the Democrats. At one of these meetings in the early '"jo's, the Committee on Resolutions was detained rather longer than usual, and a certain exjudge was asked to speak. He was conclud ing in eloquent style: "Now, my fellow Democrats, in conclusion permit me to assure you, that all the indica tions throughout the length and breadth of this grand old Commonwealth, point to an overwhelming majority; and on the morning of the day after the election, the women will throw open the windows, the men will open the doors, and the cry will be, 'Make room, the Democrats are coming.' " As he repeated, "the Democrats are coming," standing inside of the bar in front of the aisle, with his arms outstretched at full length, about twenty or more of the prisoners came marching through the aisle, double file, and halted within a few feet of the ex-judge. The meeting was immedi ately adjourned. GEN. BENJAMIN F. BUTLER, in pleading a case before an inferior court in Massachusetts for a poor working-girl who was on his free list, caused the presiding judge to threaten to fine him for contempt of court, to which Mr. Butler replied, in apparent surprise: "I have expressed no contempt for the court; on the contrary, I have carefully concealed my feel ings." LAWYER. — What can I do for you, madam? EXCITED CLIENT. — W'y, my man's ben in jail now fer two weeks. 'Is time's out an' they won't let him go. I want you t' gimme a writ o" "have 'is carcass." — Chicago Jour nal. AGUR'S prayer is a suitable one for a young lawyer, not merely the request, "Give me neither poverty nor riches," but the other parts of it as well. The prayer begins, "Re
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move far from me vanity and lies." Upon reading this request the first time I thought that surely the prayer was intended especially for young lawyers, "Remove far from me vanity and lies." But when I read the last request of the prayer, "Feed me with food," etc., I knew it was a prayer intended especially for young lawyers. They should earnestly repeat the whole of it; they will earnestly re peat the last part of it, "Feed me with food." — EUGENE RAY in the Albany Law Journal. THE city council of Cleveland has recently passed an ordinance to issue bonds for "erect ing hospitals and pest houses and for securing a more complete enjoyment thereof." AN English lawyer was cross-examining the plaintiff in a breach-of-promise case. "Was the defendant's air, when he promised to marry you, perfectly serious, or one of jocu larity?" he inquired. "If you please, sir," was the reply, "it was all ruffled with 'im a-runnin' 'is 'ands through it." "You misapprehend my meaning," said the lawyer. " Was the promise made in utter sin cerity?" "No, sir, an' no place like it. It was made in the wash-'ouse an' me a-wringin' the clothes," replied the plaintiff. A JUDGE in one of the New York municipal courts has his own quick way of getting into the heart of a case. The following is told as a true story : — The lawyer for the plaintiff had just finished presenting his argument, and, as he mopped his brow and sat down, the judge stared at him admiringly with wide open eyes and open mouth. Then he turned to the other lawyer, who had risen to his feet. "Defendant needn't plead, plaintiff wins," he shouted. "But, your honor," protested the lawyer, "let me at least present my case." The judge looked weary. "Well, go ahead," he grunted. So the lawyer for the defendant went ahead. When he had finished, the judge looked at him, too, with wide open eyes and open mouth. "Don't it beat the Dutch! " he exclaimed. "Defendant wins."
