November 5, 2009
From the vault: It was Gobbo at his most eloquent: "Statute Quia Emptores, restraints on alienability, you know the scene..." Pounding his fists, driving his points home hard, it was vintage Gobbo: "Talk about argument, cajolery, threats! The wise men successfully abandoned their lot a long time ago..."
Infallibility of the Nocturnal Motorist, A Reporter's Account, Part 6 of 6: Greenfield had had enough onions and enough ale, so he left McSorley's. He was not drunk. He got onto his horse and rode it violently, violently through the soft and muddy street. A man had erected a pole in the street for the purpose of doing some work on his house. Greenfield and horse crashed into the pole, sending Greenfield underhoof and injuring him greatly. The question at bar: who was liable? Judge Hatcher filed his opinion: "No mere shibboleth." Gobbo railed in Fisher's Square. Roscum, Greenfield's cousin, was seen leaving the courtroom and not again before deadline.
Other news: Canadian-made parapets, half off due to construction snafu, 12th and Colburne, good as treehouses, good as gifts. ... Election Wednesday -- endorsements: Wayne, Pocono, Duckworth, and Kean, no on #3, no on cluster tax, no on density regulation. Turnout expectation report coming soon. ... Marriages: none today. ... Divorces: Patricia Munch and B.B. Wolfe. She says he beat her. He denies it, calling her "a rotten apple." Three children, ages 2, 5, and age unknown at press time.