d to fine a
man for kissing a young lady against her will, because the complainant
was so pretty that "nothing but the Court's overwhelming sense of
dignity prevented the Court from kissing her itself."

* * * * *

"A fellow-feeling makes one wondrous kind," wrote Garrick, and something
of this nature must have actuated Judge Bela Brown in a case in a
Circuit Court of Georgia. The judge was an able lawyer, and right good
boon companion among his legal friends. The night before the Court
opened he joined the Circuit barristers at a tavern kept by one Sterrit,
where the company enjoyed themselves "not wisely, but too well." Next
morning the judge was greatly perturbed to find a quantity of silver
spoons in his pocket, which had been placed there by a wag of the
company as the judge left the tavern the night before. "Was I tipsy when
I came home last night?" timidly asked the judge of his wife. "Yes,"
said she; "you know your habits when you get among your lawyer
friends."--"Well," responded the judge, "that fellow keeps the meanest
liquor in the States; but I never thought it was so bad as to induce a
man to steal."

Before the close of the Court a man was arraigned for larceny, who
pleaded guilty, but put forward the extenuating circumstance that he was
drunk and didn't know what he was doing. "What is the nature of the
charge," asked Judge Brown. "Stealing money from Sterrit's till,"
replied the clerk. "Are you sure you were tipsy when you took this
money?"--"Yes, your honour; when I went out of doors the ground kept
coming up and hitting me on the head."--"That will do. Did you get all
your liquor at Sterrit's?"--"Every drop, sir." Turning to the
prosecuting attorney the judge said, "You will do me the favour of
entering a _nolle prosequi_; that liquor of Sterrit's I have reason to
know is enough to make a man do anything dirty. I got tipsy on it myself
the other night and stole all his spoons. If Sterrit will sell such
abominable stuff he ought not to have the protection of this Court--Mr.
Sheriff, you may release the prisoner."

The judge of a Court in Nevada dealt differently with a man who, charged
with intoxication, thought to gain acquittal by a whimsical treatment of
his offence. On being asked whether he was rightly or wrongly charged he
pleaded, "Not guilty, your honour. Sunstroke!"--"Sunstroke?" queried
Judge Cox. "Yes, sir; the regular New York variety."--"You've had
sunst