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THE LIGHTER SIDE

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THE LIGHTER SIDE The Interruption of Counsel by Judges. — Possibly rather more progress would be made with the business of the Court of Appeal if counsel were subjected to less interruption. Here is part of the dialogue in Dealtry v. The Countess of Aberdeen on Tuesday: Lord Jus tice Vaughan Williams: " You had better go on with your narrative, Mr. Lush." Mr. Lush: " I intend to do so if I am not inter rupted either by my learned friend or by "Lord Justice Vaughan Williams: "I notice that you did not finish your sen tence. You said, ' If I am not interrupted

when they do they are fatal. Sometimes they are based on ill-will, sometimes on mere indiscretion. Rarely is a misunderstanding so purely accidental as in the following case: A judge in a Pennsylvania court of Quarter Sessions complained to the traverser at bar that his leniency when he had appeared be fore him on a charge of vagabondage for the first time was disappointed. "I gave you only thirty days then," the judge said, " and now I see you again on the same charge before me." "I'll improve," the wretched fellow begged, either by my learned friend or by ' "if you'll give me more time." Mr. Lush: " Perhaps I may be allowed to What time did the fellow want, in or out finish the sentence on another occasion." It of jail? cannot, of course, be an easy thing on the "Nine months! " was the judge's prompt Bench, any more than in less exalted spheres and solemn conclusion. of life, to strike the happy mean between Would Let the Old Lady Go. — A few years saying too little and saying too much. The ago, when Chief Justice Doe was conducting difficulty that belongs to the Bench has been a murder trial in Nashua, N. H., the work of admirably expressed by the Lord Chief Jus impanelling the jury was going on. A juror tice. " The absolutely silent judge," he said from Wilton was called and asked by Judge not long ago, " is one of the most unpleasant Doe if he believed in capital punishment. judges to practise before, because the advo The juror said he didn't think he did. cate never knows what is in his mind; the "Well," said the judge, " suppose a man garrulous judge is an intolerable nuisance, was going to kill your wife, but by your killing because he lengthens the proceedings and the man you could save your wife's life, would diverts attention from the points in the mind you do it?" of the advocate; to strike the happy mean — The juror answered that he thought he to say just enough to indicate to the advocate would . what he should address himself to, and yet "Well," said the judge, " suppose it was not disturb the advocate, particularly if he your wife's mother who was going to be be a young advocate — is a task of great diffi killed, and you could save her by killing the culty." That it is a task of great difficulty man, would you kill him?" is proved by the failure of certain judges to The juror answered that he guessed he accomplish it. " It is no grace to a judge," " would let the old lady go." — Boston says Bacon, " first to find that which he might Herald. have heard in due time from the Bar, or to Warm Work. — " Say, old boy, I scorched show quickness of conceit in cutting off evi a bit in my new auto, and now I find myself dence or counsel too short." The proceed ings in certain courts would probably be in hot water." "What can I do for you?" more expeditious — they would certainly be "Why, bail me out! " — Baltimore American. more harmonious — if there were less occa sion to remember that an " over-speaking A Jail Bird. — Stranger. — How long since judge is no well-tuned cymbal." — The Law you made an arrest, constable?" Journal. Constable Hi Mcdder. — Quite a considMore Time. — Misunderstandings between dyable spell. I'm goin' a leetle slow 'bout a judge and prisoner do not occur often, but haulin' em in jest now. We hain't got no