MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1287, 26 January 1883, Page 2

MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES.

'Do you plead guilty or not guilty, 1 asked Justioe Gregg of a colored culprit, who was accused of stealing a whole line of dry goods that had boen hung out in an Austrian backyard to dry. 'Dat ar ■depends on the mitigatin' saroomstanees,' responded the prisoner. 'What mitigating circumstances t' ' Well, Jedge, las time ... I was up heah for stealin 1 you said dat owin' to de mitigatin' sarbumstane ob hit bein' my first offence you would lot' me off wid ft TepwmftnV * Yeij and here you • ■ are again.' ' Jes bo, Jedge. Now ! want • t . second offenoe, ef you is gwine terlet me off again wid a repreman'.on aoooont of hit bein' my fait offenco. Ef yer am gwine to let mo off wid nuffin but a repriman' ~den I pleads guilty ter Labia' liftediiß ae hne ob clothes, and while I's about it . ' I moutjes at well plnd guilty to>notl{er 8 • fust offence. I refers to aal poultry : i' ; .. Colonel. .Parsons misted, lee', week,' ; J ' Have you been guilty to any more first offences Tasked theamusedjustice. I am gwine to be let offwid a repriman'i I mont as well own up ter anudder fast - . , offence. 1 What is it?'; ' Four shirts, six pilly slips, and-par ob linen pants from de yard ob Mrs Flanjaok's boarding-house,< and de wood-pile ob Colonel Terell in de ■ Fust W»rd.' 1 When were you guilty of • that fjufc offence ?' 'I hainV.been suiltr of dat ar fust offence at all yit ; Dat ar am de first offence I'm gwine ter be guilty ■ ■ • on ter.nig]}t, or as soon as yer turos me loose on aocount of tlje mitigatin' mourn. stances.' '