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The Great Courthouse 
The Great Courthouse 
Oh, the great courthouse was crowded on One bright shiny Monday morn. And the many a heart was aching there For a boy they accused of wrong; The judge was there and the jury, too And people came from afar, A fair young lad of tender youth Was prisoner at the bar. 
A maiden fair with golden hair Swept swiftly through the crowd The people all gazed and wondered at her But spoke not a word, aloud Then stepping to the jury stand One moment did she pause Then smiling through her tears, she said Judge, let me plead his cause 
Now judge, your mind must wander back To the earlier days gone by And see yourself and your sweetheart Just like this boy and I Remember, judge, you once was a boy Just like this fair young lad And if you convict him of this charge You'll drive him to the bad 
Next Sunday was our wedding day We dream of a wondrous life And at the altar he will make Me his own little darling wife If you have children of your own Have mercy I do pray For remember judge, you'll break my heart If you send Cecil away 
Then stepping to the jury stand She made her simple plea Says the prisoner is a innocent lad I know you will set him free 
Th judge rose softly to his feet Th court was still as death Th tears came trinkling down his cheeks And he spoke in a faltering breath Says, I have a little girl at home With just such babyish eyes She has a sweetheart just like yours For her I know he would die 
The jury did not leave the box For they had quickly agreed They briefly formed and signed a verdict And gave it to the judge to read Not guilty, was the judge's reply Th murderer heard him say She clasped her lover in her arms Says, love always has its way 
From the Max Hunter Folk Song Collection collected from Mrs. Pearl Brewer, AR 1958 
OTHER COLLECTIONS: Randolph: IV-828 The Pnsoner At The Bar 
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