The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-01-27
0ait and 9nnlor.
Pantomime in a Court Room.

The attorney, at the date of the story,
was serving the commonwealth OF ONO
and the county of Vinton in the capacity
of prosecuting attorney at the little town
of Macarthur He then bore rather
youthful, and possibly somewhat verdant
appearance for man holding SO RESPONSE
bic position. The most conspicuous per-
sonaee known to the Vinton bar at that
time was a grave and pompous barrister
from neighboring town. man who had
reached the middle age of life, and with
an extensive practice, profitable alike In
fame and pecuniary gain a man whose
eloquence bent juries to his will, and whose
logic pinned them fast; whose invectlve
and pointed sarcasm blanched the cheek OF
the witness or the prisoner, as might be
necessary to gain the case, and was alike
dreaded and hated by his fellow practition-
ers. The attorney referred to is living
vet, one of the most prominent jurists IN
Southern Ohio His ability is not dimin-
ished, nor has his knowledge that he pos
sesses ability.
One day the young prosecutor had
riot case to try, and to his CONSERVATION he
learned that the gentleman referred to had
been retained by the defense. The prose
cutor handled his case with great care, but
from the first did not hope to convict the
prisoner. He was stirred up somewhat,
however by the sneering illusions made to
him during the examination by the impor-
ted counsel, and SO when he came to make
his opening speech he INDUCED in little
bombast himself He expected to be torn
up somewhat by the imported counsel, but
was utterly unprepared for the simeon that
swept through the court room when the I'M
ported counsel got fairly under way. lie
paced up and down in front of the judge ;
he sawed the air in front of the jurors; he
shook his finger in the face Of the young
prosecutor and shivered in imaginary hor-
ror at the thought of so youthful youth
undertaking to measure swords with him.
The voice was loud and bitter in its de-
nunciation the gesticulations were violent
and demonstrative; the matter threatening
and awe-inspiring, and with face OF scorn
he sat down with folded arms and awaited
the verdict which he did not suppose they
dared to refuse to render. The young
prosecutor was mad. He felt he would like
to thrash the imported counsel out of his
boots He arose to his feet, uncertain for
the moment what to do. A happy thought
struck him, and, throwing his head back,
he cast his left arm behind him and thrust
his right hand in the breast of his vest,
while under overarching eyebrows he
scowled out at the jury. The jury ''drop-
ped on it" in an instant. So did the
Judge, so did the spectators. There was
familiar pose of the imported counsel,
perfect in its imitation. Then the young
prosecutor began, and without opening his
lips, proceeded to copy the gesticulations
and movements of the eminent attorney
who had preceded him. He snorted and
cayorted and stamped and rolled his eyes.
He strobe up and down in front of the
jndges and jury, following in his gesticula-
tions precisely those of which they had just
seen the copy He shook his finger me-
chanically under the nose of the eminent
gentleman, and then, assuming the states
manlike pose, he looked down upon him
disdainfully. Then he would stop and
twirl on his finger martingale ring which
he had drawn from his pocket, and which
was intended to represent the large seal
ring on the small finger of the left hand Of
the opposing counsel. 1t was too much.
The eminent attorney appealed to the court
for protection, while the judge laughed un-
til the tears rolled down his cheeks, and
the jury and spectators chuckled audibly:
The judge replied that the young man had
done nothing, had said nothing to him, and
he did not feel called upon to interfere with
the argument That settled it. The i'm
ported counsel broke for the door, and the
jury, after fifteen minutes absence, brought
in a verdict of Columbus, Ohio,
Times