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Show ODD POLICE OFFICIAL. KAN8A8 JUSTICE HOLDS COURT IN BLACKSMITH 8H0P. Lawyers Strictly Barred from Place Unique Jurist Is Six Feet Seven Inches Tall Weighs Nearly Near-ly 5C0 Pound. Topeka. Kan. With IiIb unvll for a bench, his sledgehammer for a gavel, and his blacksmith shop for a courtroom, court-room, Frank Jacques, justice of tho peace at Elmont, a village seven miles north of Topekn, presides over what is perhaps the most unlquo tribunal in tliu world. Standing six feet seven Inchoa tall, weighing 4S2 pounds. Justice Jacques Is n commanding figure, and when his llnnllko voice utters an edict, prompt obedience bf such edict is then in order. Ono of the peculiarities of tills remarkable re-markable man la the fact that ha does not permit lawyers to practice In Ills court. "Ah a peace olllcer," philosophizes Justice Jacques, "my first duty, as I boo It, Is to promote peace, nnd as lawyers and peace aro not tnlxnblo quantities, I havo barred tho lawyers In tho Interest of peace." Justice Jacques has for a long whllo been tho vlllngo blacksmith and horse-shocr horse-shocr at Elmont, nnd his phenomenal strengtli enables him, when occasion requires, to conquer tho most refractory refrac-tory horso by throwing him to tho floor and sitting on lilm while an assistant as-sistant nails on tho shoes. Men of collegiate education arc seldom found in a horseshoeing Bhop, but Justice Jacques Ib an exception to tho rule, for ho 1b highly educated. Ho is nn omnivorous reader, dovotlng tho greater part of IiIb leisure to high-class high-class literature, and ho has written soveral Important articles on social and Industrial topics. Mr. Jacques was not n candldato for tho offlco which yho now holds, but wns drafted by tho peoplo of his township town-ship In a nonpartisan movement, and his election was unanimous. For somo time there had been more or less petty litigation of a neighborhood character in Elmont, and as a matter of civic pride some of the leading citizens started a boom for Jacques, bcllovlng that he would bo ablo to wield a peaceful Influence nnd promote pro-mote the community spirit. Ho took charge of the office January 1 this year, and slnco that tlmo he has amicably ami-cably adjusted several hjcnl feuds of long standing. On tho dingy walls of tho combined blacksmith shop and courtroom thero aro several placards bearing slgnlfl cant Inscriptions. Ono of theso reads: LBT US IIAVi: PUACB. : ... And another one, still moro to tho point. In as follows: NO I.AWYKllS PKHMITTIH) IN i TIIIH COURT. TIIH UHU. i i LOWS FURNISH WIND. ! , , "I don't expect to make nny monoy out of this office," Mr. Jncqucs said to his constituents nt tho tlmo of his election, "therefore I cannot afford to tent n courtroom. I wilt hold court In my shop whenever n session Is necessary, neces-sary, and peoplo who havo troubles to adjust are welcome to call at any FRANK JACQUE8. (Kansas Justice Who Preside Over Most Unique Tribunal.) time cordially welcomo, bo long as they do not bring a lawyer with them." When a dlsputo Is to bo settled It fs tho custom of Justlco Jacques to let each party to tho troublo rclato In an Informal way his oldo or tho story. Meanwhile, ho Incidentally stands bo-tween bo-tween them to nip In tho bud any signs of rising temper. When ho has heard both versions ho analyzes tho situation and suggests such terms of adjustment as to him appears fair. Nino times out of ten, Htlgans are satisfied sat-isfied with tho Jacques method of settlement, set-tlement, nnd oven though they may havo como beforo tho blacksmith Jur-1st Jur-1st us enomlcs, thoy leave as brothers. Mr. Jacques Is a llttlo mora than 40 years old, and by reason of his ponderous pon-derous size his clothing must bo mado to order, and ho sleeps upon a specially special-ly constructed bedstead. Ho Is a native na-tive of Maryland and has lived In Kansas since 1872. |