The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-11-03
THE RIGHT BOWER

1t was Judge darlington own ex
preston.
Half 3 dozen lawyers, fresh from theil
studies and just admitted 10 the bar
were listening 10 his advice. The old
jurist had bottle OF Wine at his elbow
and was in q communicative mood.
Young men, he said, whatever
may be your strait never take a case be
fore jury or before any court, unless
you have your right bower for 9
lead.
1.-THE reader surmi-es from this thar
the old Judge was fond gteuehfe he viii
not have surmiscd ami-z.
The young men looked at him inquir-
ingly.
I mean, be added. " lhat you shall
never advocate q cause in the work OF
which you cannot enter witha clear con
SCIENCE. You should nev-raccept client
/ whose cas=e YOU do not believe to be
! just"
20 Can that rule always be adhered to:9
asked one Of the listeners.
It can" answered burlington, en-
phatically, It's a lawyers firm rock of
foundation, and the only surc point of
departure to the respect and confidence
of his fellows"
Have you always followed that rule,
judge ,"
was never tempted from it but
once, he replied & viii tell you the
story, if you would Ike to hear it"
OF course they would ike to; AID
having laid aside his pipe the old man
began:
% One day was waited upon by a man
who gave his name as Leban SariurE
He was Of middle age, well dressed, AID
At first sight appeared to be d gentleman;
but the illusion was dispellei when sp-
preaching business. lie was hard and
unfeeling and naturally Il william. sue
cess in speculating had saved him from
becoming q thiet or highwayman.
heard Of him as heavy deaIerin theup-
river lands. lie asked me If I was willing
to undertake a job which would call
me to Shireton. I told him that ] was
open 20 anything legitimate that would
pay.
Hr. burlington, said he, tapping
me with coarse familiarity upon the arm,
I want % secure your services; YOU
must not be engaged on the other
side %
81 told him if lie would explain To
me the case I might bc better able TO
give him an answer. lie bit an enor-
nous quid of tobacco from a black
plug, and having got it into shape
between his jaws, he went on with his
story.
The case was one Of eiectmept. An
elderly man, named Philip Acton, had
died, leaving q valuable estate. There
was nearly thousand acres Of land, with
opportunities for Observation-Disclosures wa
ter power, and ere many years that land
would be worth more than million dol
lars. At present, upon the estate, and
claiming it as a son OF the deceased,
was a man calling himself William
Acton.
- But, said SarfuIt, 'he is not a legit-
mate child at all His mother was Betsy
Totwood, at one time a girl in Acton's
employ. He brought the boy up and ed
ucated him, and now the fellow thinks
that he will step into his protectors
shoes. can prove that am the only
living relation of Philip Acton. He was
my uncle (my mothers brother), and
to a lawyer smart as you, there can
be no difficulty in proving my
title. l can bring the witnessed to your
hand.
Z" He told me he would give me FIVE
hundred dollars if I would undertake
the case and an additional thousand if
gained That was big fee-far mere
than I had then made in all my plead
ing. 1t was tempting. And yet I saw
that it was not perfectly clear--not en-
tirely honest. The probability was that
this William Acton was Philips child
and it was not impossible that Philip
had married Betsey Totwood. Itstruck
me that Leban Sarfurt was a william.
and that he fancied that he mad young
Acton so far in his power that he could
eject him from the title. But what had
/ particularly to 90 with that? III
accept client, ] must serve him. II
had no business but to serve his interest.
l finally told Mr.. Sarfurt that would
think the matter over. I should proba-
bly, have business in Shireton during the
session of the court, and l would call on
him then and examine more fully. III
could not take his rertainer until | had
further light.
9" But said he, will you promise not
to take UP for the other side?'
told him l would do nothing without
further consultation with him.
Because he added, 'if you are for
me | am sure to win Acton can't find
4 lawyer that can hold candle to ven.
know them all.
No matter whether 1 believed him
or not, did not feel fattered.
:" Two weeks later I received letter
from sarfurt, promising $4,000 if / won.
The $4,000 was a strong argument.
Was not law really game Of chance, in
which the strongest hand and the longest
purse must win !? told myself yes.
Yes-and ! sat down and wrote reply.