The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-03-12
HON. W. w. O'BRIEN.

AT the request of numerous personal friends
in this vicinity, where we have so often been
entranced by his eloquence, we copy from
the Chicago Pilot the following handsome
tribute to that very able and distinguished
barris,er, the Hon. WV. O'Brien, of Chicago
w. w. OBRIES has been the special
pride of the Irish race in every age to excel
in eratory. Naturally OF strong feelings and
warm, generous impulses, the tervid Celt has
ever borne the palm of superiority in the forum
and at the bar; and many of the most disiin-
guished statesmen and advocates OF England
and America owed their eminence to the Irish
| blood in their veins. OF lreland's own bril-.
! liant phalanx of orators and lawyers--her
Grattan. Curran, o Cornell and Others-we
need not speak. The stories of their genius
are household words. But to show that Irish
preeminence in elOquence is not a thing Of the
past, We will advert that we have at the bar OF
Chicago to-day, in the person of w. w. O'Bri-
en-, lawyer and man who Is peer OF any
of the llustrious names Of the past in thrilling
eoquence, noble inspiration and commanding
appearance.
Although Mr. O'Brien's standing among his
associates Of the bar ana as great criminal
lawyer, are of the highest. IN the hustle and
din of our great city We do not fully grasp the
magnitude Of his great abilities. 1t is only
when he goes abroad that his greatness is tul.
| ly appreciated. Taking success as a criterion,
| he stands at the head Of his profession in
| America-he never fails to save his client. In
| his career AS an advocate he has been engaged
IN hundreds of cases, yet his success has been
| invariable 1t must not be supposed, however,
| that his talents are limited to criminal praC
| tice As q general lawyer, in any branch Of
| Jurisprudence, his wide sweep of intellect,
| power of analysis, and lnialllble intuition II
motive, with his long practice and thorough
| knowledge OF law, make him u counselor To be
relied on an adversary to be feared.
| We give few extracts from the Joliet pa
pers and other sources, IN relation 10 the trial
II couple OF weeks ago, OF DIR. Melville, Of Pc.
otone, for the murder of Owen Mink-one of
the most exciting and critical murder cases
ever tried in Northern Illinois in which the
accused was saved from the scuiiold solely by
the marvellous eloquencc of Mr. O'Bricn.
| The joliet Signal, after giving the circum-
stances of the case and the course of the trial.
says:
"The argument for the prosecution was
opened by Mr.. Flanders. HIS grouping of
the evidence adduccd into a solid mass, which
he hurled like projectc at the defense WAS
an effort OF a mastery kind, al d drew forth
admiration freely expressed at The close Of the
y
of the defense, poit:aying the lights OF selfde-
| tense bearing on this case.
Estates Attorney Brown. with the precision
and sklllful address of u legal veteran exposed
the weakness Of his Adversary position and
| left him the mcrcst tOOthod al truth to stand
upon. But the grand and final shock Of words
had been reserved for the champions from
abroad. O'Bricn was tremendous. In the
MCGowen case he conducted an easy defense
IN quiet manner. Hnley's splendid argument
on that occasion was stronger than his. But
the pending case presented many difficulties,
and the prosecution was triple. O'Brlcn rose
In his might to meet the d ticultes and tow.
cred far above them. He denounced the pros
ecution as u persecution; the prosecuting VII.
| ncsses as - leaguing against mans life. He
poured forth flood uf invcctive clCuucnCc,
which displayed the wonderful resources Of
that mind, which places lis pOsscssOr in the
front rank of TIE worlds criminal LAWYERS"
The D0ily Repubitcan cave very brief
sketch of his great argument as follows:
Nv. W. O'Bricn, the noted Chicago criminal
lawyer, WHO has had sr a sncccss in import
ant criminal cases in our court. commenced
his argument at II O'clock and spoke nearly
three hours The address MAS indeed very
eloquent-ar times affecting the majority of
The vast audience to tears; and o Bricn him.
self, in commenting On the Cuust QucECc- tu
Melville and his li'lic iumIly should verdict
of guilty I've reHdcrcd could not rcprcss his
emotion, which required on his part, and on
the part of the jurl, n literal use of handker.
chiefs One of O'BrlCHs strongest points was
that DR.. Mclvillr's mimi w4- IN such stunned
and delcri"eS CONDITION when Il" fired the fatal
shot Ton account uf the serious injuries he re-
c,ived when knocked down aEd otherwise A.
sautcd Ivy the dcccascd) a. not tn hc response
lie in law for The result u' the shooting. TAX.
ing this, in connection with the Circumstance
that numerous threats had been made against
the doctor that day, and the language used be-