Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 January 1902 — BETTER THAN LAW. [ARTICLE]

BETTER THAN LAW.

Julius Was Stumped, So He* Concluded to Return the Property. “I was in Mississippi during the carpetbag days,” said the Pittsburg story teller, “and one night at a hotel I was robbed of watch lind money. I found out next day that it was one of the colored servants, and I went Jo a justice of the peace and swore out a warrant. The justice was also a colored man, and he didn’t seem anxious to do the right thing. I think be was in with the thief, though willing to give me a show. When the prisoner took the stand, he declared that if be bad stolen anything It was while he was walking around "in bis sleep. The statement caught his honor, and he said: 7’ 1 ‘flow yo' gwine to hold a pusson ’sponsible fur what he does in his sleep? Dar ain’t no law ’bout dat. If Julius dun ’took dat watch an money an didn't know what he was doin, den he’s got to be discharged from custody.’ “I was pleading my own case,” continued the Iron City man, “and I replied to the judge that the rule ought to work both ways. If Julius had taken m.v property in his sleep, he ought to return it while he was in the same condition. I wasn’t blaming him for being a somnambulist and was willing he should go free, but I should expect him to enter my room in his sleep that very night and leave my lost property on a chair. That was a stumper on judge and prisoner, and after scratching their heads and wiggling around his honor replied: “ ‘Julius, dis yere case has dun got mixed up. ’Cordin to law yo’ got away wld de stuff an can’t be held, but ’cordin to de white man’s dreambook yo’s got to walk in yo’r sleep ag’in tonight an put yo’r stealin’s back In his room. Dat will leabe everyt’lng jest as it was befo’, an it ’pears to me dat yo’d better tackle some older man an do it wid yo’r eyes wide open.’ “Julius didn’t wait to walk in his sleep again, but handed me my property before we left the courtroom.”— Philadelphia Press.