HOW THE JUDGE REPEATED THE JOKE.

Kumara Times, Issue 670, 20 November 1878, Page 2

HOW THE JUDGE REPEATED THE JOKE.

Some years a case was called for/ trial in Cumberland Superior Court/ N.C., U.S.A. Among the witnesses on behalf of the State was to have beea one Sara Mooney. She waa not found in the court-room, and without effect her name was called in due form from* the court-house window; whereupon the State solicitor, the Hon. Robert Strange, who was fond of a joke,- and even of a pun, turned to the Court and said, " May it please your Honour, the" testimony of this Witness is not material, and we will go on with the case without Sara-moony." Of courfee the lawyers laughed at the' pun, hut the judge did not see it, and gave never a smile. There were no railroads iff those days y a few stage : coacfees, and judge and lawyers travelled, from l one' court to another in M'Ketban's bu«gies. On the road to the next'court/ in the judge's l own county, there was quite a procession s of lawyers in buggies following the* judge's Irwl. TW judge called a h:ib in Uin middle of a stream 1 to wafer his horse, and .in the" 'thoughtful mooi-t incident to that prawns, simo'SMi'v astonishrvl his brethren <u the Bur !>y bursting into laughter hoth loud iiucl long. He explained that he was laughing at Robert

grange's good joke. A wived at home, through with his toilet, and seated at supper, his wife, as wives will, asked jaboufc the incidents of his journey. ThereTiad been none of interest, he said, texcept a good joke gotten off by their inutual Mend Strange-, at Cumberland tlolirt. "And what was that, my tiearT* "Well, there was a case in which On'e of the witnesses was named §ara Mooney. She could not be found, fe,nd Strange, amid shouts of laughter, isaldj * May it please your Honour, we will go on without Sara-moony.'" The good lady pondered a while, and said Bhe did not see anything very funny in lhat; and, after a little thinking, the judge said that he did ri6t either then, but that he had seen it while watering his horse.