Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 March 1879 — Not a Book-Judge. [ARTICLE]

Not a Book-Judge.

“Old Si ” reports many a conversation between town and country darkeys which shows that they both possess no small amount of native wit. And, apropos of negro wit and sharpness, I heard a tale the other day of a Georgia colored Trial-Justice which seemed to me worth repeating. It appears that a white Democratic lawyer was called to plead for one of his clients before this ebony Justice, and, not fancying that the negro had any mind of his own, prophesied an easy victory for himself. So, when it came his turn to plead, he sent to his library for a very large number of law-books, and, arranging them on the desk before him, began to search them and to turn down leaves in each one. When he had thus marked about two dozen fat volumes, he began his plea, and from time to time he would pick up a book and begin reading an immensely-long extract. The colored Justice sat blinking, and showing evident signs of distrust of his own ability to comprehend, for half an hour, when suddenly he said: “Mas’r John, is yo—is yo gwine ter read in all dem books dat a-way?” “Well, your Honor,” answered the lawyer, blandly, “I wished to call your attention to a large number of opinions pertinent to the case.” “Mas’r John,” continued tLe sable Trial-Justice, “’pears like de mo’ ye’ reads outen dem books de mo’ clouded like I gits in my min’. Now, Mas’r John, I reckons dat I better decide dis case on de equity an’ justice on it. So just leaf dem books alone, ’n come on at me.”

The lawyer did so, but, in telling the stoiy next day, he said: “Blank blank his equity and justice. The nigger decided the case dead against me after all.” Evidently the colored Justice was determined not to be overawed by too copious use of law-books.— Atlanta Cor. Boston Journal. Philip Arnold, banker, died at his beautiful home in Elizabethtown, Ky., a few days ago. He is the Arnold whose diamond-mine speculation gave the whole world a sensation in 1872. He spent $37,000 for rough diamonds

in London, and took them to California. There he found a little unfrequented valley, in which he “ salted ” his precious stones. It soon became noised about that Arnold had found a diamond valley. He took a bag of the gems to New York and there organized a . company, with a capital of $10,000,000. Before the fraud had been discovered Arnold got $350,000 in money, and compromised by surrendering half of it.