Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-07-27
Anecdotes Of Che Bench and Bar.
from L. j. BiPelOw' 70 h.
Filming COUNSEL.


Judson Il. Mills, OF South Carolina,
was Judge of district court IN north
ern Texas. fond of joke, but very de
cided in his discharge of duty. ThOm-
as Fannin Smith was practicing law
yer ut the bar, and having shamefully
mistated the law in his address to the
jury, turned to the Judge and asked him
to charge the jury accordingly. the
Judge was indignant, and replied:
"DOes the counsel take the court to
be IA fool p
Smith was not abashed by the re-
proof, but instantly responded,
II trust your honor will not insist on
an answer to that question, as | might,
in answering it, truly be considered
guilty of contempt of court.
Fine the counsel ten dollars, Mr..
Clerk, " said the Judge.
Smith immediately paid the money,
and remarked 1t was ten dollars more
than the court could show.
Zine the counsel fifty dollars, " said
the nudge.
The fine was entered by the clerk,
and Smith not being ready to respond
i'm that sum, sat down. The. next
morning, on the opening of court,
Smith rose, and with much Difference
of manner began:
MAY IL please your honor, the clerk
took that little joke of yours yesterday
about the fifty dollars as serious, as I
pei ceive from tue reading of the min
utes. Will Your honor be pleased to
inform him OF his error, and have it
erased?"
The GOODNESS of the request and the
implied apology pleased the Judge, and
he RENTED the fine.
BEN. WADE AND JOSHUA II. GIDDNGs.
BENJAMIN II. Wade and the late
Joshua Il. Giddings used to be constant
competitors at the bar in cold benight-
ed Ashtabula," their place of residence.
In the early part of his practice, Wade
was defending q man against an action
of Islander, and after having concluded
a very effective speech to the jury, sat
awkwaEdly leaning backward, his feet
on the counsel table, and facing Gid
dings, who was attempting to be elO-
duent In behalf Cf his slandered client.
"Old Gid" as he was Familiarity called,
knew "a little smattering of Shakespeare,
and now determined 10 bring that great
author To his aid.
Gentlemen of the jury" said he,
with much ardOr,
Gle that steals my purse. steals trash,
But he that robs me OF my good name
(Ahem .
at this point, to his great diseomfit-
ure, Shakespeare deserted him. lie re-
peated,
'.But he that robs me of my good name"
(Another pause.)
'"rakes that / never had, whispered
Wade, as if prompting him, and so
distinctly as to be heard by all in the
room.
Amid the laughter and his own CON
fusion, GiddiBgs brought his speech to
such a lame and impotent conclusion"
that his client recovered but six and a
quarter cents for his lost character.
CELTIC WIT.
An Irish counsellor having lost his
cause. which hadsbeen tried by three
Judges, one of whom was esteemed a
very able lawyer though the other two
were Indifferent, some of the other bar
risters were merry on the occasion.
"Well, now" said be, who could |
help If, when there are "A hundred |
Judges OH Tue DSnCu
"a hundred - said a bystander, :; |
''there were but three"
''By st. Patrick r. replied he, ''there |
were one aud two ciphers."
WEBSTER.
Two stories of Daniel Webster are /
not "legal" but good
When Hayne, of South Carolina, |
urged on by his southern friends, had /
made his speech Which called forth that /
immortal reply of the great ''Northern
Lion" many of Webster's friends,
struck with Haynes real ability, began
to say TO each other, ''Cm Webster an.
Stoer hat p Mrs. Webster was present /
at the Capitol, and was greatly agitated /
at the fire and force of the hero OF
South Carolina. She rode home with
"A friend in advance of her husband. AT
last the s'Lion" came tramping mp to
the door. and marched in IN an easy,
way. His wife fastened
into the hall Just as she was, and, with
tears in her eyes, said TO him, Can
you-Cua You answer MIR. Hayne 2"
With a sort of grunt or quiet roar. I
her lord Turned upOn her: s'Answer
him? IN g-g-i-n-d him finer than that
snuff in yot'r bosP' 81 81 ssr i.v
In due time the Websterian thunder
rolled through the arches of the Capt.
toll, and Hayne was ground fine.
"What do you think now, says the
generals friend to his southern ac-
quaintance, ''of our northern hon?