THE DEAF PLAINTIFF.

Western Star, Issue 430, 26 March 1881, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE DEAF PLAINTIFF.

Anyone who so chooses' to spend his leisure ; days, may sotaetimes, amid the multitude of Hull/ Mserable Which Cphstit'uto the staple of county cburtbusiness/ light upon one,which: will move the audience to'laughter. I once .listened to a specially queer one. Thecase “ Boddle and Bonson'v was,calleH,':in. three or four ybices, ,without, ■ a response.: ; ‘‘ Gall the next case ’’ would have been heard, when aicracked, harsh voice said, Jn a much higher key than • is customary iu the sacred precincts of justice; “ Well! whj didn’t'you say • so? ‘ And then a'man with his head a 1 great deal on one; Side] and a very old hat upon it t/ with a/yetj shabby long, .great coat, and two umbrellas under, his deft- arm, was, seen uncere.mqniously elbowing his way, l to , the box A; certain fixed, stare:,warned an usher that the man was deaf* and he hastily indicated, by Signs, that he should take his hat io£E. J; “ Oh ! very' well,’’’ said -the shabby man loudly, and he thereupon Weryjdeliberately : plaoed both his umbreldas, ahd then (his hat, upon'the floor,- Sftet ;wEioh,h® was sworn.' 1 By this time acomfortable, tradeSman-iike pefsonconffpnted'him. a you ( the plaintiff P r said the registrar. “ What P ”; demanded ; the loud, voice, ,<jn the-' questionj being repeated, he/ said, still in the same high .key, and;-with,, the same ; harsh tvoice,;; .“ Yes, of coursed am ; and so would any ; 'man' be.” What is : this five pounds(Mined fdr.P ’’ said the ;iJ ‘ What| ■does hesay ? '’"demanded tlie plaintiff, j (and on the,information being bawled' oUt,j replied': u What ‘is it for : Why,' for; knocking me, down fin the Tottenham; Pqurt ipoad witK,a light pony;cart,' where-; by I caughti a : pleurisy intheiside, -and? lost my. bearing to that; extent that ij /couldn’t ■ toiler : my fcalling, which if hel had drawedtoaek ever so little; the unfor | tunate accident which follered'soon after; wouldn’t have occurred;” • He 'had evi--dehtly rehearsed all this, for he. spoke it; 'straight' off. Without the slightest pUnctd-; atioh/and,(at the finish confronted the; judge with a stare which was determined,' if not spiteful. “ But,” said his honour, ,?* you must tell me more particularly how] it took place.’,’ What;? ” .cried the deaf plaintiff; o The judge repeated t thej ■question.- • >:“■ What f. does, ; he say ? ” de-‘ toanded' Mf. Boddle, turning a bruptly to an -hdteijiiiji* -Whs the;; Question’ roared id,his ear,’and'* then, With a look his amazement at his previ-; oils'statemeud; hot', having been '.(deemed sufficient, he resumed: “ Well, I tell you/ ,X(was. gqjng from ’Ainstead. roaqtp.Tot-; dsnham court road,,aad ; it was a very wpt night.is 'As/liWas: a (crossing,,over,which there was a gal with oranges just in front of me, aud a baked .’taternian close behind] : and > this pairty»oaine hlong ' in' his hght ponyio'atthhd' knhbked mb down, whereby I caught a' pleurisy in (my ( side add lost mp hearing to that' extent I 'couldn’t toller my calling which if he had Ufa wed back ever so little the unfortunate accident which fpUered soon after .wouldn’t have’ 1 odcurred.” 1 ’-'Have you any wit| nesses ? ”• asked the . judge. “ What p ’’ said.-Mr...Boddle.;,,‘‘The judge says/ ‘ Have you any witnesses ?.’" roared the usher;“ have youany one here who saw ybi* knocked down?” (Noj, of (course not,’’. tartly Replied the plaintiff ; “I didn’t know l was gbihg to be tun qver, did' IF so how could X take anybody with me to see it, ?. But, of course, it. was.all his fault, for he was a-coming along at a dangerous rate in a light pony-cart,'andif be had drawed.back ever so" little the unfortunate accident Which follCred soon after ter account could b'e dfaWn from' thd poor fellow, and . the defendant was ( called upon. He told jvhat seemed a very fair story, and was supported by the policeman who was on duty at the spot —the latter proving that he had actually warned the plaintiff against crossing- at that moment, but in vain. . This evidence determined the suit, but Mr. Boddle had not heard a word of it; he evidently considered that they were going through some necessary forms, but that nothing could prevent the issue of the trial from being in his favour. The judge’s fiat was dead against him, and the defendant asked for costs ; his honour, however, pointed to the squalid condition of the plaintiff, and asked if ho really wished to insist on them, on which the defendant waived his claim. “ Judgment for the defendant?” shouted the usher in the plaintiff’s ear. “Yes; well what then?” demanded the latter. “Judgment, I say, for the defendant!” was again bawled. “Very well; when am I to have the money ?” asked Mr. Boddle. Bless the man !” exclaimed the usher, hoarse with shouting. “ You have lost! Ha haa,.got-judgment.” “What! I” al-,ni'ost--hshricked the plaintiff, in a tone v.jhich capitals and notes of admiration , ffcebly testify 5 “what land ain’t I to'have : nothing for his knocking mo down at the , top of Tottenham Court road with a light pony-cart whereby “Tou oughl 1 )

to be much obliged* to' him,” said the judge, catching his eye; “for not asking for costs.” ” What does be say?” demanded the plaintiff of the usher. “ His honour says.you ought to bejmuch obliged tp the! defendant ”;!, He; would have explained why, but with an absolute yell the plaintiff cried : “ Very much obliged to him ! What! for ' knocking me down with a fast pony-cart whereby I caught a pleririsy in my side and lost’my hearing to such an extent that I couldn’t toiler my calling when if he had drawed back ever so,-Tittle , the urifofturiate accident which fhllered Soon after— —” ‘‘ There !” said the official, thrusting his papers into his fiapd jq'Lmako, room for, the. next ease.,”- ‘‘ Well—but—r but ain’t. I to have no money. R” cried the plaintiff,, resisting: the, gentle pressure of the usher ; “no money for being knocked ■—i" Then I; Bay it’s a 1 hiesSed ‘ shame I” *He uapd a much commoner and stronger adjective thari ' “ blessed,” .but; whatever he said, it was roared out at the top of his voice. And, then slamming bis hat, on his bead; and hitching his battered umbrellas , well under his arm. he.left the court amid the uncontrollable; laughter of almost every soul in it. — All the Year Round,