The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1873-03-09

When Daniel O'Connett commenced to
practice law he at once disting uished him
doubtedly his great forte at the bar. Woe
to the unhappy man who gets into the wit
| ness box with a secret he might make q
Thousand resolutions to keep it to himself
he might succeed with some cross exami-
ners, but certainly not when UConnell was
counsel. He laughed, he cajoled, lie rarely
threatened; he began cheerful converse
tion in most confidential terms. Tho half
pleased, half bewildered witness "did not
know where he was" This agreeable
gentleman surely could have no ulterior
designs in all this. Precisely when the un-
happy man was thoroughly off his guard,
out came the question. 1t was generally
answ cred without a moments hesitation,
and O'Connell sat down triumphant. He
had a singular facility, gift which cannot
be acquired by any amount of practice, of
seizing the salient points of a subject at
one glance He not only asked we'll but
knew exactly what to ask. In ten minutes
he would extract as much information from
q witness as a more practiced but less gift
ed barrister would attain in half an hour.
An amusing instance of O'Connell's dex-
terity as cross examiner occurred at
his first assizes. He had witness on the
table about whose sobrietY there was ques-
ton. The man declared he had "his share
of pint of whisky" and much depended
on the amoant of this share. O'Connel
asked him. by virtue of his oath, was not
his share all but the peUter, and amid a roar
of laughter the unhappy victim was obliged
to admit that it was. O'Conne!fs emolu-
ments from his profession during the
opening few years of his practice are stated
by Miss Cusack to have been as follows:
During the first year, f56; the second, ESQ;
the third f200; and in the fourth about G3OO;
"frem which time he advanced rapidly, and
made as much as 10000 in one year" His
s., ,~I,l
Linn into notice, his amusing aad successful
cross-examinations got talked about, ''and
his professional fortune was made" He
became indeed the ''hope of clients" and
his "iliimitable assurance" made him also
the "terror of judges" He was ever ready
to come to the aid of young barristers when
a brow beating judge, like Lord Norbury,
attempted to confuse and interrupt them,
and, in fact, considered himself, when in
court, always to hold q brief and special re-
taner on behalf of humanity in general.
He could not sit silent when the interests
of justice seemed to him to be in any way
tampered with. On one occasion he hap
oened to be in court when n young attor-
ney was called upon to make an admission
which might have been injurious to his
client. O'Connell at once stood up and
told him to make no admission. Baron
McCielland who was trying the case, asked
if Mr.. O'Connell had brief in the case.
general one, of an ardent desire to benefit
the whole human race as far as it was pos
sible for him to do SO. He replied 81 have
not, my lord; but shall have one when
the case goes down to the assizes." "When
I was at the bar it wac not my habit to au-
ticipate briefs. :" When you were at the
bar, never chose you for a model; now
that you are on the bench, l shall not sub
nit to yopr dictation."- From Sister Ctare's
Life Of OConneU.