The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1881-03-17

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deoantef end gias.es wese hardly ont
q dght, when, vith up e ne dooe
In walked Rev. DR.. Nehemiah Ademo
Mr.. Choate's pastor. The future Sen
ator obtained many Of bis ideos ~
gArding books, it II eaad, nom Mr..
Choate. His advice to the students
Of law school he was once addreeoinS
to buy all the law books they could,
on credit n well - for cash, II h said.
was . repetition Of Choate's advice to
him when he LEFT his once. prepata-
tory to going west. The books he
bought for cash ct that time doubtless
were very few; thsse he bought on
credit, with Mr.. Choates guarantee,
are said to have been many. Little,
/ Brown & Co.. Ii II believed. have new.
er told Just what the facts are.
immediately after his admission to
the bar, he settled In Beloit, Wiz.
Mr.. Carter first hear Of him In 1885,
when an eminent member OF the
Connection. ba., now living, return
ing from visit there, remarked that
he had seen In Bel0it the most re-
markable young lawyer he had ever
seen; that his name was Matt. Car
penter, and thst he was . perfectly
Immense man.
Soon after he settled In Beloit he
was nominated for district attorney Of
Rock county, and on account Of the
number Of defective ballots cast for
him, his opponent was declared elect
| ed. Carpenter contested the matter
before the supreme court, which de-
cided in his favor. His argument In
his own behalf was 50 brilliant and
able that one of the lawyers remarked
that ait was worthy Of Sir Matthew
Hale" The other lawyers present
caught up the name and declared that
the young lawyer should never again
have name over which there could
be any dispute whatever, and hence
forth they should call him Matthew
Hale. And this il how It came to
pass that Merritt Carpenter, Of Yer.
mont, became Mathew H. Carpenter,
of Wisconsin.
In 1858 he removed to Milwaukee,
and at once entered upon Q large and
lucrative practice. In the heavy rail-
read litigation, particularly, which
grew out Of the reorganization Of most
of the Wisconsin railroads, he bore .
leading part. His arguments In these
cases pefOre the supreme court Of the
United States attracted great attention
from the court as well Ms from the
members Of the bar. So great indeed
had his reputation become that when
the famous McArdle case was coming
on for argument before the tribunal,
Secretary Stanton engaged Mr.. Car.
penter TO make the principal argu-
ment for the government. His argu-
ment in that case, II may be safely
said, will rank with the greatest ef.
forts ever made before that or any
other judicial tribunal. Amer the
completion Of his brief he submitted
1t to Secretary Stanton, who cordially
| approved 1t, but added that Mr.. viii.
liam NJ. Meredith, Of Philadelphia,
was the king Of American lawyers,
and that before the argument waa
made, he desired to have his judg.
ment rs to its sOundness. Provided
| with note of introduction from the
Secretary and o thousand dollar re-
tainer, Mr.. Carpenter went to Phila-
| delphia and submitted his argument
| to Mr.. Meredith. A whole day was
| spent Mt the latter's residence in q
| very thorough examination of it. At
the conclusion Mr.. Meredith wrote
Secretary Stanton in these words !:
4" have carefully examined the argu-
ment Of Mr.. Carpenter In the matter
of McArdle. To II I cannot add a
word from II I would not substract
one" 1t has been claimed i'm some
| quarters that much Of this argument
was Reverdy JohnsOn's and not Car
penter's. In the Senator's safe Mt
Milwaukee, there will be found let
ter from Mr.. johnson which sets that
question forever Mt rest.
Some years ago, ut Milwaukee, SEN
atOr Carpenter became very much at
taclled to an exceedingly Giraffe Epis-
cOpal clergyman by the name Of Rich
mOnd. The latter owned farm near
POughkeepsie, which was worked by
man named Lewis. Richmond was
one day out i'm the field directing
Lewis what to do, in his characteristic
way, when the latter struck him with
a rake and killed him. Carpenter
was deeply grieved Mt the loss of his
friend, and Mt once wrote the district
attorney of Duchess county, offering
to assist in the prosecution Of the
murderer. The offer was not accepted
The trial was had and q divided Jury
was the result. Before the next trial
the district attorney wrote Car
penter, saying that on the second trial
he would he glad to have the benefit
of his assistance without fee or reward
Carpenter went to Poughkeepsie, took
hold of the case for the state, the trial
resulting i'm q verdict Of murder In
the first degree. The counsel for the
prisoner used every endeavor to preju-
dice Carpenter with the jury for vol
unteering to assist In the putting of q
fellow man to death. Carpenters ar
guInent in reply IL said to have been
one Of the most eloquent ever heard
I'm that state.
His wit was of the finest. In Q
brief i'm one of the La Crosse railroad
cases i'm the supreme court Of the Uni.
ted States. he replied to the claim Of
his adversary by saying that he knew
OF but one possible authority that
could he urged in support Of his claim
and that was from the scriptures,
which said that from him who hath
not shall be taken away even that
which he hath" but he added that
never to his knowledge had that prin-
ciple been applied to the rolling stock
upon railroad company.
A well-knOwn Wisconsin lawyer.
against whom ne was once trying .
case, persisting in asking his witnesses
leading questions. Carpenter COM
pletely discounted him, however,
not by formal objection, but by dryly
suggesting whether II would not con-
tribute to orderly administration Of jus
tice il his friends would at least filter
the evidence through the witness.
When the late Justice Nelson was
presiding in the supreme court Of the
United Statet, the winter that Chief
Justice Chase was off the bench, he
was in the habit Of inQuiring, when .
lawyer was presented for admission,
" whether the applicant qualified un.
der the rule" Carpenter ut this time
introduced Mr.. Sleeper, friend from
Chicago, ard. without waiting for the
acting chief:justice's usual question.
remarked: "And / may add, your
honor, that my brother Sleeper Is not
only qualified under the rule, but far
beyond the rule"
8. PARIS DAVIS,
nD nmYNAr ma THTmIpn