"GETTING SQUARE" ON THE JUDGE.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 188, 15 January 1875, Page 3

"GETTING SQUARE" ON THE JUDGE.

An amusing incident occurred in a courtroom, about a year ago, in Keatingville, Montana Territory. His Honor was a man well stricken in years, yet he could ride a rate, shoot a rifle, and shuffle and deal as well as the best man in the mine?, and he who presumed to trifle with the dignity of the court generally suffered. His Honor was seated, and the cases about to be commenced, when, in a voice of thunder, the sheriff proclaimed silence. There was a pause ; the judge looked over and saw the prisoner, who had not yet uncovered bis head. The court could not brook such disrespect to its dignity, and his Honor called out, in an authoritative tone, "Mr Sheriff, remove that gentleman's hat." That functionary, who had until now stood in a corner, leaning upon a rifle, stepped up and politely knocked off the prisoner's hat with that murderous instrument, whereupon the prisoner seized the hat, and, clapping it upon his head, loudly exclaimed, "Judge, I am bald!" "Mr Sheriff," said the indignant Court, "we instruct you to remove that hat." The order was instantly executed, and no sooner done than the prisoner replaced the hat on his head again, insisting that he was bald. The offended j udge now waxed warm, and, rising up in his seat, said, ' I tine you five dollars for contempt of Court—to be committed until the fine is paid.' The prisoner was thunderstruck. He deliberately walked up to the Judge, and, laying down a half-dollar stamp before his Honor, in a solemn manner thus gave his views; —' Your sentence, Judge, is most ungentlemanly, but the law is imperative, and I will have to stand it; so here are four bits, and the four dollars and a half that you owed me when we stopped playing poker this morning just makes us square,,'