Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-05-28
NOTHING TO SPEAK OF.


first appeared. His business confined him
there but few years, his reputation and sue.
cess as an advocate sending him to all the
courts in the State, and giving him name
wherever eloquence had power. We never
knew him to have case to which, before 1T
was concluded, he did not give the peculiar
cast of his genius, and for which, however ap-
parently insignificant, by his management ne
did not. secure place among those .eckoned
"the great cases." In one instance, i'll our
courthouse in the Mall, witness was put
upon the stand by the government, from
whom, as Mr.. Choate evidently concluded,
evidence had been drawn fatal to the interest
Of his client, unless in some way it could be
invalidated. In his questions he scarcely re.
ferred to the point that so much troubled
him, but broug ght out every other, putting the
county attorney to his trumps. At last he
touched upon the personal habits of the wit
ness, asking him if he drank any liquoI to
which he replied, Nothing to speak~of:"
"No," said Mr.. Choate, "of course not; we all
take little, and it's all very we'll. But" in-
quired he "when do you first drink during
the day." "When / first 60 out" was the
answer. "You need it," said Mr.. c., ito give
you an appetite for your breakfast. Then l
suppose you need glass to settle your break
fast" was the next question, to which was
smilngly responded eyes" "And when
next do you drink ?" "Not till eleven, unless
some of the boys come along, and some one Of
us has to treat" "Then there must be treat
in return before you separate? "Yes," again
was the answer. And how often would such
treats occur before eleven? p ut might be
once, and it might be three or four times"
said the witness. "You would need little
something to sharpen your appetite for din
ner and then, I suppose, as after breakfast to
help digestion. Isuppose the afternoon would
pass off much as the forenoon ?" "Yes," again
was the answer, and as Mr. c. put the ques'
tion-how about supper?-the court inter-
posed and said, "Why, Mr. Choate, you have
no right thus to question the witness" lie
answered, with smile, 81 know it, your hon.
or but if the witness does not object, GER
tainly do not"
Witness took his seat, and Mr.. Choate rose
to address the jury. At length he reached
the point.on which the county attorney, relied.
Said he, the last witness told you so and so.
giving the substance of his testimony. "This,"
he went on to say, "would be fatal to his
client, if the witness could be believed. But"
said he, gentlemen, I saw in your very ex-
preston you did not believe him, and l saw
too that the court did not credit word he
said. And how could either of you, after
hearing that he drank, but nothing to speak
off," Mr.. G. then went on to show what was
thesigni6cance of the term. He made. out
fifteen times before tea, "and then," said he,
eff the court had not interposed, 1 would have
added fifteen times more from his own state
ments, as his practice before he went to bed;
and all nothing to speak c, in the estimation
of the witness and that is the man by whom
the government propose to send my client to
State prison." Mr.. Choate took his seat, look
ing defiance at the county attorney, who
made but feeble argument. 1t need not be
added that Mr.. Choate's client was rescued
from sentence to the State prison, which all,
before Mr.. C.'s review of the evidence, thought
awaited him.-Newburyport Herald.