The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-03-12

fore, made strong defense. The versatility
Of Mr.. O'Bren was displayed as much in his
conduct of the case during the week M in his
powerful closing argument He started out ON
the theory of sclfdeicnse, but ihc iuct that the
accused had got free from his assailant and tx
claimed that he WAS going to shoot, led tie
subtle attorney to have some doubts ~ To its
effect on the Jury. He therefore elaborated the
defense based on the daZed condition of the
mans mind at the time of the fatal frs
| How successful his efforts proved the we'd Il
tells"
| We give also impressions from other sources
touching the brllnancy of his effort on This
trial, and will hear witness from what We
know Of the gentleman, that the culogy con.
tanned III them is not oyerstraned or cxager-
aled, but strictly within the bounds OF ruth
The following are Il few Of the opinions rX
pressed by those present in the court room n,
Joliet when Mr.. O'Brien made his famous ar.
gument. We would have liked 10 give their
names, but were requested not to do So by our
courteous and gentlemanly informant, he HIN
self beng y talented young member of the
bar at Joliet twill be seen from the gentle.
mems standing that they are Capable OF judg
ing Of an argument such as Mr.. o. Brien made
The young lawyer referred to above said:
There was no need tn speculate rs la wha.
the verdict would be. His argument hai fall
en- like spell upon the city, and gentlemen
and ladies Of all RINK quoted his argument for
days after the trial. /. was the theme of every
group in the hotels and on the streets"
| The ablest Prosecuting Attorney Will
county ever had now al exProseculor) stated
to fellow member of the bar
O'Brien has not his peer west of New York,
for the simple reason that no man could do
the work he did," and added mot III New
York, except John Graham"
! A juror, after the trial, was asked 10y Citi-
zen what he would have done if the case had
been given to the Jury after the arguments OF
the three lawyers who preceded Mr.. O'Erlen,
replied:
awe would have hung him (Melville) but,
1O'Brien changed the case NJ an earth quak Z
might change the face of nature"
A learned Judge, who heard the argument,
said:
"The gentlemen who we're opposed to O..
Brien were scholarly, lawyerlike and able, bu,
O'Briens argument was u tornado crowned by
| llghtnings. II was not an answer, nor TO be
answered; bnt 1t must be appreciated without
comparison, as there WAS nothing 10 compare
| il with"
An able lawyer at Joliet said
"Mr OBrlen argument placed him at the
| topmOst pinnacle of the greatest criminal law.
yers afthe world"
One legal gentleman asked frienu belong.
ing To the same profession If he thought EN-.
DRY A. Storrs would be able 10 make an argu.
ment equal to that Of Mr.. O'Bricn's, THIS
was the reply:
No lawyer now living or even any that tv-
er did live, could have equalled Mr.. O Brien's
effort on that OCCASION" and added THAT the
towering grandeur of Mr. Bricn's personnel,
combined with his magnetic earnestness, not
to speak ofthe fire ana force OF his cloqucucc,
would have completely annihilated little
Storrs and that the comparison WAS SIMPLY
ridiculous"
We are only doing our duty In paying n
tribute to Irish talent Of the highest order, ard
simply asserting PLAIN fact when we say TINT
Mr.. O'Brlen IS the most powerful and elo
qnent advocate now speaking the English
tongue. This assertion Is substantiated not
only by the extracts from the Joliet papers,
hut by gentlemen of the first standing before
the Illinois bar, whose opinions are above ex
pressed.