Justice McGill Will Stick To Bench, Leave Lift Alone

June 25, 1946

By STEVE BARKER

Joseph McGill, associate justice of the Eighth Court of Civil Appeals, Monday announced his voluntary retirement, retroactive to 4:30 p.m. Saturday – as an amateur elevator operator.

Justice McGill reached the decision as the result of complicating circumstances growing out of a belated visit to his fifth-floor office in the Courthouse when he already was late to meet Mrs. McGill for a movie date.

The elevator operator was gone for the day, the elevator was dark, and the doors were open. Hence, Justice McGill decided to pilot the lift.

All went well until the elevator stopped two feet short of the fifth-floor level. The lift is automatic. Justice McGill jiggled the control handle futilely. Courthouse cooling system was shut off and the temperature inside the stalled lift was something akin to accounts of the “Black Hole of Calcutta,” he related.

Also, the justice entertained visions of sweating it out in the coop until the Courthouse opened Monday or possemen located him. He pounded on the metal door, hoping to attract any lingering personnel on the fifth floor, but no luck.

Taking stock of the elevator gadgets, the justice noticed a red button, to be pressed in cases of emergency. That was down the trapped jurist’s alley, so he pressed it. In fact, he leaned on the buzzer until he was fearful that the battery might run down.

Time was fleeting, Mrs. McGill no doubt was waiting. And the justice’s hat brim was moistened by perspiration. After what seemed like a couple of eternities, the voice of a janitor floated down the shaft.

He shouted instructions how to free the jammed controls and the justice was a willing pupil.

The elevator lifted two feet, the doors swung open, and Justice McGill was on his way to the movie.

But Mrs. McGill, the ex-elevator jockey insisted Monday, still believes he just forgot to show up on time.

Comments

[European Justice]

LOL!!!!!! accidents happen all the time, too bad her wife is having a hard time to believe what happen to him.

[scissor lift]

I hardly knew Joseph McGill, but i know he's great!

Luigi Hanway