AN HOUR AT THE CENTRAL STATION COURT.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 741, 3 November 1876, Page 3

AN HOUR AT THE CENTRAL STATION COURT.

He was an old man, and his Honor pitied him. Sixty winters had chilled his blood—sixty summers had thawed him out again. Old, and grey, and tottering, and as he stood before the bar each one in the audience said to himself, • It is a shame—the old man is near his last end.’ The court smiled kindly on him, and asked : ‘ Well, uncle, you won’t do so any more, will you ? ’ The old man’s chin quivered. He sighed. He laid his wrinkled hand on the desk, and replied : ‘ I’ll get drunk whenever I want to. and I can lick the sneak who brought me in here! ’

If was a bad let down for the court. The poor old man had a voice like a goose, and as he spoke he kicked his legs round as if he wanted to hurt some one.

‘ I took you for a poor old “ man,” ’ remarked his Honor. ‘ A poor old ” ‘ I don’t care if you took me for a zebra !’ shouted the ancient evergreen, growing very red in the face.

‘Please be calm, Mr Bennett,’ said the court.

* I won’t! I’d like to see any two of you make me calm.’

Seeing that it was a poor old man on his way to the tomb, the sentence was made for sixty days. When he was led back into the corridor, he kicked the blue saw-horse over and broke its right fore leg, and then seized Bijah by the throat and very nearly ruined a .No 17 paper collar which could have been made to last ten days yet. All of which goes to show that one may be deceived in an old man as well as a young lady. THE OTHER SIDE. The next prisoner was not a liar. The truth was in him, and he made it a point to speak the truth. As he toed the mark, he said : ‘ My name is Jonas Clarke, and I expect I was just as drunk as any man could get.’ ‘ You oavu up, do you ?’ asked his Honor. ‘ Never lie,’ replied the prisoner, ‘ I was going out to steal some poultry, when I met a friend and got drunk.’ ‘You steal hens, do you ?’ * Have.’ *Eh ! Ever’steal anything else f * Yes, sir.’ * Ever in jail ?’ ‘ Twice in jail, and once in State prison.’ * Yours must be a hard case, Mr Clark.’ ‘ I am, sir. I suppose I’m the toughest customer in the town.’ After an earnest look at the prisoner, his Honor asked—- ‘ Did you ever murder anyone V ‘ I have, sir !' Avas the calm reply. There was a break in the conversation. The Court scratched his head, looked round, and said—- ‘ Well, you may go ! I don’t want to send you to the House of Correction on a charge of drunkenness when you are liable to be arrested for murder and sent up for life.’ The prisoner was loath to leave, and as Bijah let him out he asked : ‘What sort of a story must I tell up there, where I can get a square living until navigation opens ?’