Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 December 1885 — A Judge Who Caved. [ARTICLE]

A Judge Who Caved.

As we rede ent from a town in Mississippi te view a plantation, a commercial traveler for a New j York house expressed a desire to go along. He procured a horse and joined the party, and his company was welcomed. A mile and a half from town we came to a written notice, posted on a board, and everybody stopped to read it. It was a notice of' Sheriff’s sale, and the colored man who tacked it up was still on the ground. The notice was badly written and worse spelled, and th# drummer laughed loud and long over “caf” for calf, “det” for debt, and “sheruf” for sheriff. “What’s wrong wid dat notis ?” asked the colored man, in a very edgy voice. “It’s too funny for anything,” was the reply. “Some one had better go to school. ” “Dat’s me, sah. I’m a constable, an’ I writ dat off.” “Oh, you did? Well, I hope the ■c-a-f will be sold.” “Yes, sah. You come along wid me, .sah!” “With your” “Yes, sah. I ’rest you, sah!” “What for?” “Contempt of court, sah! Come right along.” ‘'Where?” “Befo’ de Justiss, sah! We’ll see about dat caf I” The drummer was advised against resistance, and finally permitted himself to be taken before a colored Justice nearly two miles from the spot. The constable had picked up a colored man on the way, who made and swore to a complaint, and the drummer was duly arraigned on the charge, although his Honor seemed very uffeasy about it. The Colonel acted as counsel for the prisoner. When the case was ready he said: “Your Honor, who is this court?” “I is, sah,” was the dignified reply. “Has this man shown any contempt for you?” “No, sah.” “Then hew can you try him for contempt of court ?” The old man scratched his head, opened a law book wrong side up, and finally replied: “De prisoner am discharged, but will hev to pay $1 costs.” “But if he is discharged because of his innocence, where do you get the right to put cests on him?” asked the Colonel. “‘Where d® I ? Why, in de law book.” “Which one?” “De one at home.” “I take exceptions, your Honor, and shall carry this case to the Supreme Court,” said the Colonel. “tlmph! Dat alters de case. De prisoner am discharged from his fine of sl, an’de constable am fined $2 for making a fool of hisself an’ gettin’ dis court all twisted up in a hard knot afore white folks I”— Detroit Free Press.