SPIRITUALISM ON THE BENCH.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1975, 4 May 1875, Page 3

SPIRITUALISM ON THE BENCH.

A justice of the peace in Chicago, who is a, cpnverfc to spiritualism, is; according to ctne Chicago Tribune, in the < habit of having protracted conversations with Sir Edward Coke, Blackstone, and other authorities/ and bringing their experience to bear on the cases before him. The olher.day, during.the forenoon! «»sesM6n.6£ithe''Court/a case came uplfor trial. The attorney for the defence quoted a decision which he found in one of the early Illinois reports. It was ap-' parently decisive. The lawyer looked triumphantly at the sjudge. The latter saidvr^'iWaifcßflr; minute; SlVAfeel the influence." Then the judge grabbed a lead penciland a sheet of paper. His hand went convulsively, and at the end of five minutes he had scribbled over the

entire page. When lie Lad finished he^'said/ tj> fthW lawyer} *'I hayei just receirM a incissagei from Judge Lock-! wood, who was one of the judges of the; Supreme Court at the time this decision was rendered. rHe; authorises me to say; that the majority of the members of; tae then court who are now in the; 'VflEJUil land.faftOT mature ;cprisideratioh,j ?decided, totrev'erse their former judgment.' Please inform the profession of that fact, that they may govern themselves acn cordingly." The -judge- then continued, | " Under the circumstances, you will seej that I can^pay noajttentioja to thedecisionj you§ia!viEji qu|te|lf; and judgment must bej rendered"against "you." The'lawyer re-i monstrated ; and the judge finally agreed to postpone the case for, one week, in! order to give Judge"'Lockwood and hisj colleagues an opportunity to examine the! matter- vi agaiiwaiid .see if they are^deter-j mined^'tb^feterse^tHeir former opinion.; In the meantime, the lawyers of Chicago! are meditating whether it will not .be) necessary for them to burn all their re-i ports if judges in the spirit land are to bei allowed to carry on; the "irig decisions and "of reversing those^wMchj they hare made in this world. ;