108 SPORTING REMINISCENCES 



Another witness when asked if a certain party 

 was drunk when he saw him, replied, " No, begob, 

 the man was miraculously sober." 



In another case an old farmer who had not 

 married until he was sixty and was the father of 

 ten children was brought up and was too obviously 

 guilty, so much so, that there really seemed nothing 

 to say, but up got his counsel, referred to his 

 client's family history and thundered appeal. 



" Would ye now punish this prolific old man 

 with jail." Amid a great deal of laughter the old 

 sinner got off. 



A question as to some land came up here once, 

 and the judge asked, ** Is there anything on this 

 land ? " 



" There is, sir," replied the witness. 



" Yes ? What ? I thought not." 



"There is a cottage, yer honour; but it isn't 

 built yet." 



I wonder if a well-known story in the great 

 Dan O'Connell's time is remembered. Once, when 

 at Ennis, the old usher or crier declaimed loudly, 

 " Let all blackguards now that isn't lawyers clear 

 out of the court." 



I saw a very curious race once at a small country 

 meeting where by sheer recklessness a well-known 

 gentleman rider banished misfortune. 



It was the kind of meeting at which everything 

 was objected to. 



In fact, as I heard one man say, " the horse that 



