Law Office Make Their Own

John Marshall Clemens’ Justice of the Peace Building in Hannibal, MO 205 Hill St. Hannibal, Missouri Virtual Tour by Emily Schwenneker, age 13 The Justice of the Peace sent-day judges. Clemens Office has long been an had to decide who was Special points of interest: important landmark in Han- guilty or innocent, and if • John Clemens’ court records nibal, Missouri. Nobody guilty, what their punishment knows the exact date the would entail. In the Mark can be viewed at the Mark office was built, but it is Twain Museum, which is just Twain Museum believed to have been be- a short walk from this historic fore 1844 when John M. building, visitors can see a • The building served as a Clemens became the Justice few of the cases dating from scene in some of Twain’s of the Peace. The building September 14, 1844 to has historical significance October 19, 1946 over writings and is many times remem- which John M. Clemens pre- bered in the books of the sided. Mark Twain remi- • Rooms presently contain one-of-a-kind author, Mark nisced in Life on the Missis- scenes depicting stories by Twain. Today, many people sippi, “My father was a jus- Twain visit each year to relive tice of the peace, and I sup- some experiences in young posed he possessed the Samuel Clemens’ life and to power of life and death The leaning white law office make their own. over all men and could hang stands between Grant’s Drug Store and the Becky Thatcher John Marshall anybody that offended house. Clemens, Samuel Clemens’ him.” father, had many jobs in Mark Twain’s books asleep. Unbeknownst to him, Hannibal before he was influenced the setting of the a murder had occurred that elected for the extravagant office that visitors see today. day, and when he awoke position of Justice of the The Adventures of Tom Saw- later that night the moonlight Peace. His first job in town yer used the building as a showed him the corpse of was as a lawyer. No records scene in Chapter 23 for “The the murder victim lying of John Clemens’ law prac- Salvation of Muff Potter”. nearby. The scene visitors tice are known today, but he Today visitors are treated to now observe in the back of did go on to be elected for this famous scene through the law office is based on the position of Justice of the one of the building’s win- Twain’s classic tale: Peace in 1844. John Clem- dows. It is easy to imagine “Once when I ran ens remained Hannibal’s Muff Potter on trial and Injun away from school I was Justice of the Peace until his Joe crashing through the afraid to go home at night, The Justice of the Peace death by pneumonia in window to make his escape. so I crawled through a win- served in the same 1847. Another classic scene by dow and laid down on a capacity as present-day John’s duties as the Mark Twain was described lounge in my father's office. judges. Justice were numerous. He in The Innocents Abroad. The moon shed a ghastly was paid very little, but Twain described a day that light in the room, and pres- bore a great concern re- he played hooky, and in ently I descried a long, dark garding others’ opinions. The order to avoid his mother’s mysterious shape on the Justice of the Peace served wrath he sneaked into the floor. I wanted to go and in the same capacity as pre- dark law office and fell touch it--but I didn't--I JOHN MARSHALL CLEMENS’ JUSTICE OF THE PEACE BUILDING IN HANNIBAL, MO “I didn’t hurry--simply went out of the window-- and took the sash along with me.” restrained myself--I didn't the Peace building is unique at 205 Hill Street, just across do it. I had a good deal of in other ways. The office of the street from the boyhood presence of mind--tried to the Justice of Peace was home and between Grant’s go to sleep--kept thinking of originally located in the 100 Drug Store and the Becky it. By and by when the block of Bird Street. In the Thatcher house. Old furniture moonlight fell upon it, I saw 1940s the building was ne- and books help create the that it was a dead man ly- glected, empty, and sched- scenes described by Mark ing there with his white face uled for demolition. Fortu- Twain, and it is easy for turned up in the moonlight. I nately, the Warner Brothers visitors to pause there and never was so sick in all my movie studios purchased the imagine that small boy com- “By and by when the life. I never wanted to take building and donated it to ing out the window and tak- moonlight fell upon it, I saw that it was a dead man lying a walk so bad! I went away the City of Hannibal as a ing the sash with him. there with his white face from there. I didn't hurry-- “thank you” for the town’s turned up in the moonlight.” simply went out of the win- help during their filming of ~E.S. -Mark Twain dow--and took the sash The Adventures of Tom Saw- along with me. I didn't need yer. They presented the gift the sash, but it was handier on Mark Twain’s birthday, to take it than to leave it. I November 30, 1943 and wasn't scared, but I was a contributed to its restoration. good deal agitated. I have Renovations took approxi- never forgotten that man. mately 4 years to complete. He had fallen dead in the The renovations started in street and they brought him 1955 and were completed in there to try him, and they and opened to the public in Warner Brothers movie brought him in guilty, too.” 1959. In 1955, the Justice of studios purchased the The history of the the Peace Office was John M. Clemens Justice of moved to its present location building and donated it to the City of Hannibal. J.M.Clemens ~ Justice of the Peace Building “My father was a justice of the peace, and I supposed he possessed the power of life and death over all men and could hang anybody that offended him.” -Mark Twain This virtual tour of the J.M. Clemens Justice of the Peace building in Hannibal, Missouri was written by Emily Schwenneker of Princeton, Missouri as a project for the 2nd Annual Mark Twain Young Authors Workshop. .

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