American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1858-12-30

4
when court was held in q county town.
distant about twenty-five miles. 1t was
necessary for.me 70 60 there and put my.
self 10 the way CT busines, but how was ]
to go? l had expended all my means in
| our establishment, and then it was hard
parting With my wife 60 soon after mar
riage. However. go must. Money must
be made, or we should have the wolf at our
door. accordingly borrowed a horse.
and borrowed little cash, and rode off
from my door, leaving my wife standing
at it and waving Ler hand after ne. Her
last look, SO sweet and becoming, went to
my heart. l felt as though could go
through FIRE and water for her. arrived
at the county town ona cool October eve.
ming. The inn was crowded. for the court
wss to commence on the following day.
"Iknew no one and wondered how l,
stranger, and mere youngster, was to
make my way in such crowd and get
business. The public room was thronged
with all the idlers in the country who
gathered together on such occasions.
There was some drinking going forward
| with great noise and little alteration.
Just as l entered the room, saw rough
bully Of fellow, who was partly intoxiea>
ted, strike an old man. He came swsg-
gering BY me, and elbowed meas he pass
ed. / Immediately knocked him down
and kicked him into The street! l needed
no better introduction. In 3 moment l
had half dozen rough shakes Of the hand
and invitations to drink, and found myself
quite parsonage In the rough Assem-
blsge.
'.The pext morning court opened Il
took my seat among the lawyers, but felt
as mere spectator, not having any idea
where business was to come from. In the
course Of the morning man was put to
the bar, charged with passing counterfeit
money; and was asked il, he was ready for
trial. He answered in the negative. He
had been confined in place where there
were no lawyers, and had not had an op
portuoity Of corsultlng any. He was told
to choose counsel from among the lawyers
present, and beready for trial next day
He looked around the room and selected
me. Twas thudderstruck! | could not
tell why he had made such choice. /. a
beardless youngster. unpracticed at the
baI; perfectly unknown. felt difiident,
yet delighted, and could have Lugged the
rascal.
"Before leaving the court, he gave me
one hundred dollars in bag for a retains
ing fee / could scarcely believe my son
ses. it seemed like dream. The heav,
ness of the fee spoke but lightly Of the
mans innocence--but that was no affair
of mine. | was to bo advocate, not Judge
OF jury. l followed him to jyil.and learn :
ed all the particulars Of the case, from
thence went to the Clerk s Office and took
minutes Of the indictment. / then exam
ine6 the Ia y on The subject, and prepared
my brief in my room. All this occupied
me till midnight. whenI went to bed and
!. tried to sleep, il was in yair; never in my
i life was more wide awake. A host OF
thoughts and faucies came rushing into my
mind. the shower Of gold that had so ur.
4 expectedly fallen into my lap, the, idea Of
my poor little wife at home, that was to
astonish her with my good fortune. But
the awful responsibility had undertaken,
TO speak for the first time in asstraDge a
court, and the expectations the culprit had
formed OF my talentssall these. and a crowd
4 Of .milar notions. kept wbirling through
/ my mind. tossed about all night, fear.
ing morning would lfnd me exhausted and
incompetent-in a word the .day, 'lawned
upon me miserable fellows, R.
"1 got up feverish and nervous. IWalk.
ed out before breakfast TO collect my
thoughts and tranquilize my feelings. |;
was bright, morning The air was pure
and frosty--I bathed my forehead and my
hands in a beautiful running stream, kut ]
could not allay the fever heat that ragged
within. returned to breakfast butcould
u not eat A single cup Of coffee formed the
repasi; It was time to 60 to courr, and
went there with throbbing heart. be
lieve il it had not been for the thoughts o
my dear little wife iu her lonely house,
, should have given back The man his dol
! lars, and relinquished the case. l took my
seat, looking. am convinced, more like
culprit than the rogue / was to defend.
: when the time comes for me 10 speak
my heart died within me. l rose embar
D rassed and dismayed. and stammersd ii
/, opnning the case. / went on from bad L
Q worse, and felt as il l was going down. =
= just theu the public prosecutor. man o
q talents, but somewhat rough in his prac
tice. made q sarcastic remark Onsomethinl
4 | said. 1t was like an eclectric spark, ant
! ran tineling through every vein 10 m.
Q body. In an instant ny difffjenco wa
It gone; my whole spirit was in arms--I an
= swered with promptness. for feltthe cru
n city Ufsuch an attack upon a novice in m
situation, The prosecutor made kind .
: apology, This Tor man Of his redoubte
!. powers. was vast concession. Irenewe
Q my argument with q fearful growl, carrie
MY case triunipbanuy, and the, man wa
0 acquitted.
: "This was the making of me. Every
It body was curious to know who this ne,
d lawyer was who had so suddenly rise
/. AZ ong them and bearded the Attorns
: General in the onset. The story Of I'm
}. debut At the inn on the preceding eVeuip