The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-08-16
A Flow Of Forensic Eloquence.

an interesting case of assault and battery
on hand. Thomas Douglass and Edison
Trumbull, both residents of West Hill,
got into a dispute about the Presidents
policy, which terminated in row, in which
it appeared Mr.. Trumbull climbed Mr..
Douglass, put head on him, blacked his
eve, wrenched his neck spread his nose
all over his face, flbbed him heavily on
the listening box. bored home on his kiss
ing trap, got an ugly one in on his dexter
optic, pasted him q bad one on his paste
horn and finally grassed him heavily. In
defense, Mr.. Trumbull alleged that Mr..
Douglass provoked and really begun hos
tilities by slapping him across the face with
apOrtion of aharness, called by the witness
!" q breechin' strap" Young Mr.. Gasto-
let, who has only been lawyer few
months, defended Mr.. Trumbull, and this
being his first case, a large number OF his
friends were present to witness this brill
liant young advocates first victory.
When the evidence was all in and the
Court intimated that it was now ready for
the agony, Mr.. Gastolet arose and said:
s'Ahem!''
And his friends declared that it sounded
for all the world like an old lawyer, and
they were delighted. But the trouble
with Mr.. Gastolet was that he was too
much like an old lawyer. and he said
/" ahem " SO many times. that If once re-
peating it sounded like lawyer, Mr.,
Gastolet certainly sounded like lawyer
about four hundred years old. At length,
however, he made start.
"Sir!" he exclaimed.
"Sir, to you," responded juror, to
whom the attorney happened to be look
ing, and the Marshal promptly checked the
rising merrlment.
NAV it please the Court, !" Mr. Gastolet
again began, and the Court, despite its
stern official dignity, looked so positively
and undeniably pleased, that not dis
senting murmur was heard Gentlemen
Of the jury, this is not case for levity.
It is rather case for profound thought"
Here juror who was asleep at the end
Of the bench fell off and punctuated Mr..
Gastolet's eloquence with prodigious
crash, after which order was restored and
Gastolct, who had broken out into pro-
fuse perspiration, went on:
"a cause" he said, for profound
thought, and for sorrow; for deep-felt,
patriotic sorrow. What do we see. gen
tlemen, what do we sect An American
citizen, half white and free born. An
American citizen-and what visions does
that word conjure up. Liberty strangled
by the iron heel of pitiless despotism; q
little band of patriots penniless in purse
and few in uumbers struggling to unclasp
the hated manaclos that bind her TO the
earth. The glowing sunrise tints with
touch Of gold the verdant brow Of Bunker
Hill, crowned with the coronet Of RAM
parts, glittering with dewdrupe, behind
which our fathers crouch, Rke lions in the
lair. The dim cloud Of battle pals the
reeling earth and bending heavens from
my sight. The tramp d charging col
umns shake the earth and the loud mouth
guns waken the dreadful clam0r with
more resonant tones than even the rever-
berating echoes Of heaven's dread artillery.
The fitful glitter Of the bayonet answers
the licking tongues of red, red fame. The
smoke cloud lifts. Oh, horrid sight!
Oh. nameless dreAd!''
Here Mr.. Gastolet threw up his hands
and bending backward IN rigid attitude
cast such : hok1l6ed glance at the Jury,
| that the big fxt junior il the middle, who
was Il that moment stealthily taking 4
chew Of fine cut, thought the apostle had
reference to himself, and guiltily dropped
| HI cheW on The door, and hid his tobacco
box behind hira, and braced himself up
| 10 deny thai hc ever used tobacco. B1l
Mr.. Gastolet went on, In Z loud expression
| Of voice.
- The dead are crawling ovsr The hill.
sidel The wounded lie flgidly welterine
| In their e0rei FFoed6m ehfieks ii the
dim distance and nature veils her face,
| appo1lc6 It the awful xiGhtl A nation d
barn and the blood Of heroes = poured