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Show A DEATH SENTENCE. (Washington Post.) Ex-Vice President Stevenson had a fund of good Stories. One of his best was about a judge in one of the back districts dis-tricts of Illinois in the early days. The judge was a politician all over, and took particular care so to conduct himself on the bench that he would offend no one, and thus secure a re-election at the expiration ex-piration of his term. In one section of his county was a numerous family named Green. "Green Ridjre" was famous on account of every voter being related to the Greens, if not actually bearing the name. They were clannish andalways voted together. In contests when? everything every-thing else was equal, the vote of "Green Ridge" would decide. The person who was so unfortunate as to incur the displeasure dis-pleasure of any one person of the "Ridge" was sure to hare the entire population against him. Officeholders were satis-fled satis-fled to overlook many shortcomings of the Green family in order not to incur their enmity. One year Bill Green, the most notorious of the family, killed a man. It was a case of cold-blooded murder, and, although al-though the "Ridge" attended the trial en j masse, the jury was not to be overawed and rendered a verdict of guilty. Seeing the numerous Greens in. attendance, and j not wishing to offend them, the judge was very lenient in his rulings, favoring the counsel for the defense and overriding overrid-ing the law and the prosecuting attorney unblushingly. His charge to the jury was a model of inoffensiveness and favorable to the nrisoner It was apparently pain ful to him when the verdict was pronounced. pro-nounced. Bill Green went back to jail and remained re-mained there until the prosecuting attorney attor-ney had insisted several times that sentence sen-tence must be pronounced. The relatives from the "Ridw" were still around, and when it was noised about that the judge had sent the sheriff to bring Bill Green into court to receive sentence, they all filed into the court room and awaited developments. de-velopments. AVhen the prisoner had been i brought in the judge glanced about the room, and began nervously: "Mr. Green, by the way, as you are no doubt aware, the recent trial ended in a manner rather, unfavorable for yourself. That, vou will take notice, Mr. Green, was not the fault of the court. The court. Mr. Green, you of course observed, had nothing to do with making or rendering ren-dering this verdict. That was entirely a matter outside the jurisdiction of the court, and wholly with the jury, Mr. Green. The jury was not of the court's choosing. Mr. Green. In fact, the court could have no choice in the matter of a jury, and in this case the court had no idea as to who would compose the jury, and had no part in its deliberations or conclusions. The court. Mr. Green, contented con-tented itself simply and solely with the law, and I hope you and your family, Mr. Green, have observed that the court kept strictly within its own proper sphere." The judge glanced around and noticed I that he had not yet given offense to the I "Ridge," and proceeded: "You no doubt observed. Mr. Gre-q, that the jury not the court, mind re- I turned the verdict. That verdict was ah j was somewhat prejudicial to your interests, in-terests, Mr. Green. It was, in fact, ) against vou, Mr. Green. In fact, Mr. i Green, the jury found you guilty of of j murder, Mr. Green." j He glanced around the room again, and the "Ridge" was frowning, and he added hastily: "You understand. Mr. Green, that it was the jury, as I said before, and not the court, that returned that verdict." The judge hesitated some time and then the prosecuting attorney said: "Sentence must be pronounced." "Ah. yes." continued the Jurtg. "You see. Mr. Green, the law makes it obligatory oblig-atory upon the court and I wish you and your family to remember that the court did not make the law to pronounce sentence sen-tence upon yoii. without regard to what the feelings of the court may be. The sentence, Mr. Green, which the law providesand pro-videsand with which the court had no part in the making is that you in fact. Mr. Green, the law says, as you are no doubt aware, that you must must hang. Now. Mr. Green, the court desires to mak this ceremony -as comfortable and convenient for you as possible, and the court would like to know if you have any preference as to the time. What day, Mr. Green? would you prefer?" "Friday is as good as any day," answered an-swered Green, stolidly. "Ah. very good: it shall be as you desire, de-sire, Mr. Green, and the court fixes Friday." Fri-day." Me bowed to Green and smiled at the "RidgCjV The attorney said the exact Friday' must be named. "'Oh, yes," answered the judge. "Mr. Green, the law 3ays that the date, which means the day of the month as well ns the day of the week, must be appointed. Now. Mr. Green, what day of the month do you think would best meet your convenience? con-venience? There are five Fridays in the next month, all nice Fridays. There is the 2d, the 9th, the Kith, the and the 3mh." The juclge looked earnestly at the prisoner, pris-oner, like a clerk in a dry goods store showing goods to a particular customer. "The last one's good enough for me," answered Green. |