Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-05-26
A Telling Blow in Court.

/ az tue iato trials In Milwaukee
the suitbeing, The u. S. against The
DlshHers, for failure to report all or
even tenth of the gallons made,
for evading the Revenue Laws. and
for frand, the usual teehnicalities
were raised by the lawyers on be-
half the distillers. G. w. Lakin was
employ ed by the U. S., and finding
that strokes of wit, sarcasm and ri ,
baldry counted for more than areu>
meDt, or even testimony, he devo-
ted his hours ofspeaking to fun ma,
KING. Lakin, as all know from recs
objections of his practice as a lawyer
In Grant County, possesses varied
talents as an advocate, at times plays
ing the actor rather than the orator.
II dhe 81 h.9l I 6. was one of Lakin's
ais, and is said to have had its in
fuence in gaining q verdict. 1t
was written out by one who was
present, from memory:
Dennison Holmes, and his two
boys, each testified that they were
employed to haul, and did haul highs
wines for William Hodgson, from his
distillery, in Furteville, to the wares
house, at GAINESVILLE, in the night
time. The counsel for Hodson at
tempts to break down their testimo-
ny. In his opening to the jury, pri-
or to Introducing any testimony, he
foreshadowed, in pointed and explic>
it language, what he proposed to do,
recounting in advance, the divers
exploits, on his programme, which
he proposed to perform, to the aston
ishment of the beholder the last
and browning one of which was, that
he would take the Holmes family
and fix them, SO that they would nev>
err get another man into lawsuit"
Until now, you have not heard my
voice much in the progress of this
trial. When | occasionally inter>
posed an objection to the court,
counsel looked over his shoulder,
with astonishment. enquiring share
you naked up?" This implied, of
course, that had been asleep. The
conclusion seemed inevitable. and /
acquiesced. But when one sleeps,
he is apt to dream and SO did [.
dreamed that | was in the court
of Heaven. The scenery was beau.
tiful beyond description. Jupiter sat
upon the throne, and presided with
awful majesty. Ever and amor " he
shook his ambrosial eurls and gave
the nod"
Here was Bacchus, distilling and
distributing his cordials and nectar
to all who could trace their lineage
to the Gods. Here was Neptune,
whose trident raised and stilled the
winds and the waves and not
among the least of the celestial corps
was Hercules. The proclamation OF
| his intended laborS was uttered in
thunder tones. / listened with won-
der and observation-disclosures he en-
tered upon the projected work. |
saw him attack the Nem@an lion,
pursue him to his den, and strangle
him. [ saw him meet the Lernean
| hydra, and crush his seven heads
/ Will OH0 ud5u " ulo Ciups caW
him capture and bring alive, and IN
hurt, to his master, the Erymanthian
Boar. ! saw him encounter the
dragon and wrest from him the gold
en- apples, and leap with them, in
triumph, from the garden of Hesper-
ides. | saw him, without arms. club,
or helmet, descend into He'll, take
the dog Cerberus by the jaws, and
drag him up to the light of day.
The celestial corps was held in
breathless suspense at the appalling
sight.
Ere long it was whispered that this
terrible confict.was yet to come !
that the browning labor was about to
be performed.
" Hear Ye Hear Ye went forth
in stentorian tones, and the crier an
nounced that Hercules was about tC
take the " Holmes family u!
The spell was broken-the pageant
papers. And, 10 | found myself il
this upper room, tying the case o.
Highwines and Hodsons distillery
|