Contempt of Court

By J.F.C. Fuller

Published in the Agnostic Journal

London, England

24 June 1905

(page 398)

Sir,—A few weeks ago a certain prisoner in the dock at Leeds, on being awarded eighteen months' hard, became most irate, and drawing a black bottle from his pocket, hurled it at the Recorder, Mr. Tindal Atkinson, K.C.; who being moved in—or by—the spirit, changed the sentence to five years' penal servitude. Mr. Atkinson was probably unaware at the time, that Eleazer, one of the Lord's chosen and servant of Sarai—that naughty darling who captivated the heart of King Abimelech when an innocent little dear of 90—committed a similar contempt of court. The following might interest him:—

Upon one occasion Sarai sent her servant Eleazer to Sodom to enquire concerning the welfare of Lot and his family. As he entered the city, Eleazer observed a Sodomite fighting with a stranger whom he had defrauded, and who, running to Eleazer, implored him for assistance.

 

"What art thou doing to this poor man?" said Eleazer to the Sodomite; "shame upon thee to act in this manner towards a stranger in your midst!

 

And the Sodomite replied:

 

"Is he thy brother? What is our quarrel to thee?" and picking up a stone, he struck Eleazer with it on the forehead, causing his blood to flow freely in the street. When the Sodomite saw the blood, he caught hold of Eleazer, crying:

 

"Pay me my fee as a leech; see, I have feed thee of this impure blood; pay me quickly, for such is our law."

 

"What!" exclaimed Eleazer, "thou hast wounded me, and I am to pay thee for it?"

This Eleazer refused to do, and the Sodomite had him brought into the court, and there, before the judge, reiterated his demand for a fee.

"Thou must pay the man his fee," said the judge, addressing Eleazer; "he has let thy blood, and such is our law."

Eleazer paid the money, and then lifting up the stone he struck the judge heavily with it, and the blood spurted out in a strong stream.

"There!" exclaimed Eleazer, "follow thy law and pay my fee to this man; I want not money," and he left the court-house. The Talmud (Polano's translation).

—Yours truly,

Lucknow, 11 May, 1905.

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