The Justice Who Made the Complainant Pay
When a man filed an assault charge in the local courts, a sharp-witted justice turned the tables on him—and sent him to the county boarding house.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Justice Thomas exceedingly satisfied a man from the country on July 14th, who filed a complaint against another man for assault and battery. In hearing the testimony, the Justice found the boot on another leg and politely informed the complainant that he must pay the costs, and not having the means to pay them, he was sent to the county boarding house. A few repetitions in such cases will enlighten some and benefit the county.
“the Justice found the boot on another leg and politely informed the complainant that he must pay the costs.”
This 1887 account of the 'county boarding house'—a colorful euphemism for the local jail—reflects a time when municipal court costs were often weaponized against the poor. Today’s Seattle faces a similar, if more complex, struggle with the criminalization of poverty and the high cost of legal fees, proving that some civic frustrations remain timeless.
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