Southern Christian Advocate

SINGULAR SCENE IN A COURT OF JUSTICE.

Giacomo Benolini, an Italian tailor, residing in a small town near Berlin, was a man of brutal and vindictive character, but for a time so far mastered his nature as to induce a young woman to marry him. The honey moon, however, waned before its time and all the sweets were turned into bitterness. Benolini treated his wife with such cruelty that she was forced to sue for a separation. The parties met in court, and sentence of divorce was pronounced. Upon this Benolini suddenly advanced to the table in the middle of the court placed upon it a small barrel which he had concealed under his cloak and, addressing himself to the judges, declared that they had delivered their own final judgment, for that barrel was filled with gunpowder, which he would instantly explode: and producing his flint and steel, began to cover his infernal machine with sparks. The Court being on the ground floor, the counsel, plaintiff, witnesses, and audience were at once seen scrambling, pell mell, for the windows as well as the doors--leaving the infuriated tailor to blow up himself alone. The barrel, however, was well hooped and though Benolini continued to shower his sparks, the contents remained untouched time enough to admit a fire engine being brought and deluge the tailor with water. He was afterwards seized and pinioned and the barrel secured and examined; which in stead of gunpowder, it was found to contain only some hemp seed. On being afterwards examined as to this extravagant joke, he said he only meant to punish the judges for deciding against him. They, however turned the trick upon him, by condemning him to two years imprisonment.