Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 January 1887 — A Judge’s Shrewd Trick. [ARTICLE]

A Judge’s Shrewd Trick.

Trial Justice Robinson, of Anderson, has a unique way of fastening guilt upon the criminals that appear in his court, writes a Columbia, 8. C, correspondent of The New York HeraJJ. Yesterday « negro was arraign d before him charge with stealing a hog. One of the witnesses for the prosecution was specially active in his efforts to fix the guilt upon the prisoner, and in an unguarded moment showed himself guilty of duplicity. The judge took cognizance of this sact, aud finding the evidence against Le prisoner wholly insufficient for conviction, ordered him released. Believing strongly in the guilt of the party he had spotted, the judge determined to tryeffect of an old chestnut, and suggested to the large (crowd of darkies present that the matter be left entirely to a very fine game rooster he had in the yard. The proposition met the approval of the audience in the courtroom, and he ordered the feathered judge to be brought in, together with a large iron wash pot. The rooster and the pot both in, the judge assumed all lhe dignity possible and proceeded to announce, deliberately and solemnly, that the rooster would be placed under tho pot and everybody in the house would be expected to touch it, while the negroes present wouM sing “Let tne old ark rock on.”

“The rcoster,” said the judge, “will crow when the guilty man touches the pot.” Hands were hen clasped and a circle formed around the pot, and “Let the old ark rock on” was sung as only negroes can sing. The judge noticed that the burly fellow he had suspected was very nervous, and was making his way to the door. Me therefore urged him to enter the c<Tcte and touch the pot. The (allow declined, saying “I am out of dat scrape now and 1 want to stay out.” He joined in the singing, but would not touch the pot. The older negroes regarded his conduct as conclusive evidence of his guilt, and upon being pressed he made a full confession of his crime, and was then sentenced to 3 months’ imprisonment in the county jail. The ignorant negroes now think Justice Robinson’s trick is the tri? umph of genius, and already to worship the game-cock, ’’’hey are also willing to leave all the stealing cases in that community to the infallibh judgment of Judg Robinson’s rooster.