The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-03-20
he law required. He was at once acouit

the law required He was at once acouit-
! ted
Two years after, Aaron Burr himself was
On trial at Richmond. He remembered the
great services of Luther Martin, and secur-
ed his assistance for his own defense Into
this service also Martin entered with a zeal
due more to his hatred of jefferson than to
his love OF Burr; and for six months he
abandoned all other cases, and devoted
himself heart, soul and purse to the deliv-
erance of his client. He became one of
Burr's surities. and took the opportunity
to declare in open court that he was glad to
have this opportunity to give public proof
OF his confidence in Col. Burr's honor, and
of his conviction that he was an honest
man. The vehemence of some of his har
argues at that trial, as well rs their indie
cency was most remarkable. On one &C.
casion he said that the President and his
! Cabinet were "blood hounds hunting Burr
with keen and savage thirst for blood"
His fury against jefferson was such as to
excite the suspicion in the Presidents mind
that he was one of Burr's mplices-
The truth is, however, that strong drink
tends to destroy all soundness and modera.
ton of Judgment, and at this time there
never was waking hour when he was not
under the influence of it. Burr was &C
quilted, and to no man was he SO much in
debted for the escape as to Luther Martin
This was Burr's own opinion, shown by
word and deeds.
Luther Martin was sixty-three years of
age when he retired with flying colors from
Burr trial at Richmond. From this time
his downward career was more rapid; and
such was the strength of his constitution,
that he continued to practice with success,
though not with the first distinction, for
ten years after. AS late even as 1919 he
was employed in several important cases
with the first lawyers of Maryland. Chief
engaged with Martin on an important case
i'll Hagerstown, twenty-six miles distant
and yet they were obliged to set off in a
stage coach the evening before. Every
time they changed horses, which was every
five miles, Martin would drink. He drank
whisky when he could get it; and when he
could not, he drank ale; and if he could
get nothing else he would drink buttermlk.
On reaching Hagerstown the two lawyers
took supper, and fancy told Martin that
as soon as he had smoked cigar and rested
little, he would go to his room and exam
inc the case with him. At eleven OF clock he
went to Martins room and found him dead
asleep, lying across the bed, with his hat
and all his clothes on except one boot. He
tried to wake him, but in vain. fancy
went TO his own room, and studied the case
nearly all night. Before going to court the
next morning he tried Martins door, found
it locked, and went to court thinking that
he would have to rely on his own efforts
for the management of the case. But just
in the nick of time, as the case was called,
in walked Martin in the perfect possession
of his faculties, and never, the Chief JUS
tice used to say, did he acquit himself bet
ter than in the conduct of that case.
Three years later he was total wreck
His intellect was gone. But so much ad-
IMITATION was still felt for him that the Leg
islature put kind of tax of s. year on
the legal profession for his support. 1t ap-
pears, however, that the tax was not pro-
ductive, for when Aaron Burr was practic-
ing law in New York, after his return from
Europe, he learned that Luther Martin was
ruined and destitute. He still owed Mar
tin Large sum of money for his legal SER
vices in 1907, and he owed him gratitude
for most Jealous championship. He took
the broken old man into his house on Mas
sau street, assigned him an apartment, and
maintained him in com fort until he died in
1896, at the age of eighty-one. Thus, the
ornament of the Maryland bar, and one of
the most successful practitioners of his
time, was indebted for shelter in his old
age, to something resembling charity.