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On Bread And Water

On Bread And Water image
Parent Issue
Day
16
Month
December
Year
1898
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

   "Officer, take that man to jail and keep him there for 24 hours on bread and water," were the words uttered by Judge Kinne, in a conversational tone of voice Tuesday during the progress of the Sprague vs. Dusbibber case, and a witness in the case has found out what it is to trifle with the court. The name of the unfortunate witness who needed a salutary lesson to bring him to his senses was John B. Gottes, of Ypsilanti, a witness for the defense in the case of Mellissa T. Sprague vs. William Dusbibber, et al. This case had been dragging its weary length along, the plaintiff's case not being all in at noon. As has already been stated the suit is for damages to the plaintiff caused by falling into a post hole and for injuries to her garden caused while the defendants were building a line fence. Gottes, who is one of the men employed to build the fence, had imbibed a little too freely of the flowing bowl and felt his own importance in the case. He several times interrupted the progress of the case. When Attorney Lehman made some inquiry of the witness Gottes answered "In the post hole." The judge cautioned him to remain quiet. Again when the witness told who were building her fence and omitted Gottes name, Gottes spoke up saying, "I was there, I'm the man who built the fence." The judge threatened to send him to jail if he didn't keep still. He retorted, "You won't do it for five or ten minutes will you." An officer escorted him out of the court room and explained to him the necessity of keeping quiet. He soon returned and remained quiet for the long space of five minutes. Then when the witness was telling about the shrubbery along the fence Gottes asked, "What was it?" It was then that Judge Kinne turning to Deputy Sheriff Ball quietly remarked: "Officer, take that man to jail and keep him there for 24 hours on bread and water."

    There was no scene in the crowded court room. Mr. Ball beckoned to Gottes, who followed him out, while a pin could have been heard if it had dropped. When once outside and the prisoner had stumbled down the steps he remarked to the deputy sheriff: "Come take a drink with me and let's call this thing square."

     Gottes is now on his bread and water diet and it is hard to say which he relishes the least, while the sheriff has one prisoner on whose bread board he can make something, even at the meagre amount allowed by the supervisors for the board of prisoners.