The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-09
THE LEGAL CATECHIsM.
A DennIIIon Of the Present Practice o
the Red.Ryed Law.

A DennltlOn OF the Present Practice OF
the Red.Eyed Law.
Prom the New York Graphic.
client-Now, Counselor, what is law,
anyway?
Lawyer-IawR Well, law from one le-
gal point Of view may be a lucrative means
Of defeating justice.
Glow many kinds Of law are there?
L.-Sometimes two kinds, one for the
poor and another for the rich.
C.-What do you think the best way Of
dealing. with a witness who is uniayorable
10 your case?
L-My tactics are TO confuse, bewilder,
scare, and mystiiy him; or else make him
angry. III woman, make her angry by
all means. Women are especially GOOD
subjects to operate on in this way. Many
women don't know exactly what they're
saying when they do talk, anyhow, and
they're pretty certain not to remember
what they have said two minutes after,
anyway. don't know Of more astonished
beings in tho world than women when
confronted with her own words three min.
utes alter the court stenographer takes
them down.
C.-If the witness endangers YOUR case
what do you legally consider him?
Las target Tor abuse, innuendo and
satire, An object Of suspicion. A person.
to be proved q bad character. A being
whose minor faults must be magnified into
crimes. A person without probity, honesty
or honor. A Pariah among men.
C.-But if the witness testify in your
iavor2
LA perfect being. An epitome Of
honesty, honor, goodness and veacity. A
prosecuted being on whom most foul as.
PERSONS are cast by opposing counsel.
C.-And il in the next case this same
witness should testify in favor Of opposing
counsel, how would you consider hfm-or
her?
L.-AIy friend, circumstances alter cases.
Especially legal Ceases" Human nature
is essentially weak and defective. Further
than this we are non-committal. Law is
rigid. Law is merciless. Law goes straight
ahead after justice, looking neither to the
right nor left.
C.-What is the best method Of impugn-
ing the character Of witness, when moth.
ing tangible can be aked up against him,
or herr
1.-The tactics OF "insinuating" crime
or bad character; the inierential assertion
Of lies out OF whole cloth. Thus: Ask the
witness about his setting his brothers barn
on fire out Of revenge. OF course, there
may be no brother nor any barn, and CON.
sGquently no fire. That makes no differ
ence. Words and charges with the public
and the jury will often serve Just as well as
facts With the common mind man
charged with any ofIense is deemed guilty
until he proves his innocence. II the man
deny the charge, SO much. the worse for
him. For in denying he keeps the matter
stirred up and before public attention. The
more such matter is before the public the
more they are disposed to believe there
must be some truth in it. The public read
hastily, reflect hastily, condemn hastily and
their minds are caught by the most promi.
nent and suggestive words The mere
mention Of murder" "theft," "dishon-
esty," "ioul crime" in even distant
connection with any PERSONS name is quite
enough to influence the large majority
TO deem the man so mentioned guilty. We
understand this and take advantage Of it.
II say TO q witness whose reputation l
wish TO destroy, Didn't you cut your
mothers throat once and split your fathers
head open with an ax, and then set fire to
the house and run away by the light Of the
ruins% a great many people will be dis
posed to believe he did all these things be-
cause | asked him il he did. See? oh,
law means something more than Black.
stone. It means knowledge OF human
nature. That's the piano we play on.