The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-05-18
The Lawyer and the Book Agent.

4
The last victim of the lash, so far as
heard from, is Henry Meiselbar, a
young lawyer doing business at room
"a, Nos. 121 and 123 Dearborn Street.
Early yesterday afternoon, Just after he
had taken his dose, it was rumored that
his face looked for. all the world like a
checker-board, while his neck resem-
it wasn't as bad as this.
1t was two o'clock when two young
men entered Justice Mech court. One
was small and bullet-headed and COM
posed. The other was trembling with
excitement, was so tall and had such
luminous hair, that when he took his
hat off and stood upright he looked like
q gold-headed cane. The little man
said he was James Delaney, and he
wanted warrant for the other man,
Alexander N. Porterus, charging him
with having unlawfully beaten and as
saulted Henry Meiselbar. The warrant
was granted and the witness for the
people and the prisoner wanted to go to
trial and get the case settled, but the
willy Judge refused to hear the case I'M
less the interested party who had been
unlawfully beaten and assaulted was in
court. and SO a continuance was taken
till Friday next at eleven o'clock. All
that could be ascertained in the way of
particulars was that Mr.. Meiselbar had
been horsewhipped bya gentleman act
ing in the interest of young lady who,
while engaged in her legitimate bust
,n,e IS enl;ntf;nrr nr,la,., na1laI rr,,pn
Mr.. Meiselbar and was forcibly detained
by him against her will, and was kissed
by him three or four times. She left
the office crying, and telling him that
he would hear from her, and the whip
ping was the result.
A reporter then dropped around to
see Mr. Meiselbar He was alone,
seated before the fire in comfortable
armchair. He wore a terra-cotta coat
and an air of gloom. The gloom was
thicker than the coat. He had big
law book on his knees and appeared to
be reading.
"Mr. Meiselbar?r
THAT is my name. SIR"
"You had some little difficulty this
morning, understand, and the Inter-
Ocean would like
..Sit down. Very calmly l will
tell you all about it. (Rather forcihly)
But | say it right here, and I mean it.
that if ever another female boOk-agent
ever puts her head inside that door I'll
let that pass. Was she pretty?
No. sir. she was positively homely.
Old? Um-m-m no; about eighteen or
nineteen, l should think. And yet |
kissed her? Well. yes, did kiss her.
Twice | think. She was in trouble,
and l pitied her. that was the only rea-
son. You see it was just like this: 1t
was Monday afternoon; | was sitting
here alone reading law, when the
door opened and the girl came
in; [ thought it was client,
and told her 30 sit down; she sat there
where you are; | sat here; then she
opened up and wanted TO sell me Eugene
J. Halls poems for $3.50, ! said no
and went on reading; then
she tried on all the Establishments of her
ever see a book-agent? well,
of course YOU know; she told me the
story of her life; awfully romantic; IN
kind mother-in-law and all that sort of
thing; she got pathetic and | got inter-
ested; when L got interested she came
down to business again and wanted
$3.50; said she owed seven dollars for
board and only had five dollars to pay
Il; opened purse and exhibited sole
assets five dollars; want of S2.50'very
pressing: stony-hearted landlady and all
that: commenced losing interest; then
she sail former employer had basely
cheated her out of ten dollars; felt
interest return: offered toput on my hat
and 90 and collect it for her without
charge; just then gentleman called me
into the hall for consultation: coming
back to resume my seat felt sorry for
little woman woes and in passing bent
over and kissed her, that was all; YES.
kissed her again; she didn't mind; never
cried; wanted to sell book worse than
ever; had no use for it; escorted her to
top of stairs. and there she said | should
hear from her again; thought she was
going to write; shouldn't have kissed
her only she seemed in trouble: no insult
in tie least.
Next afternoon two men came in: tall
man and short man: supposed they were
clients: asked them to take seats; tall !
man wouldn't; asked me if | kissed
girl: | said yes and explained cir
tall man pulled out
whip and hit me across this +
right shoulder: hit me
again: don't know how many times;
more than twice: no marks on face or
neck; don't experience any inconven-
fence; pushed him into corner and |
could have pounded him but didn't;
little man pulled him off and said it was |
all right, he would have done the same |
if anyone had treated his sister that !
way; that ended it; they went and got |
a warrant sworn out to save me the |
trouble of doing it, aud thinking to get !
the case settled by confessing the assault |
and paying about dollar fine, but |
Justice Mech wanted to have all the |
parties in court, and shall show up
Friday. That's all, good-by"
The reporter, pleased at having got
all the facts in the case, was descending |
the stairs when voice caught his ear.
1t was the attorney returning to his
rooms, declaiming: But if ever another !
puts her foot inside my door I'll |
be an iceberg, and have no compassion
ut all: and if ever n woman puts her
head in and says books HI" And
the voice was lost in Chicago
Inter Ocean.