Wanton

Reckless; disregarding the rights of others; without reasonable excuse.

See 14 Tex. App. 201.

The act must be intentional, witjh design, and under circumstances evincing a reckless destructive spirit.

147 Wis. 70, 75.

It is not synonymous with "wilful."

28 Ind. 290.

WAPENTAKE (from Saxon, waperii i. e., armatura, and tac, i. e., tactus). A Saxon court, held monthly by the alderman for the benefit of the hundred. It was called a "wapentake" from "wapen," arms, and "tac," to touch; because, when the chief of the hundred entered upon his office, he appeared in the field on a certain day, on horseback, with a pike in his hand, and all the principal men met him with lances. Upon this he alighted, and they all touched his pike with their lances, in token of their submission to his authority. In this court, causes of great moment were heard and determined, as Mr. Dugdale has shown from several records. Besides which, ' it took cognizance of theft, trials by ordeal, view of frank pledge, and the like; whence after the Conquest it was called the sheriff's tourn, and, as regarded the examination of the pledges, the court of the view of frank pledge. These pledges were no other than the freemen within the liberty, who, according to an institution of King Alfred, were mutually pledged for the good behavior of each other. Fortesc. de Laud. c.

24; Dugd. Orig. Jur, 27; 4 Bl. Comm. 273.

Sir Thomas Smith derives it from the custom of taking away the arms, at the muster of each hundred, from those who could not find sureties for good be,havior. Rep. Angl. lib.

2, c. 16.