The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-06-27
Pantomime in a Court Room.

The attorney, at the date of tn,
story was serving the commonwealth
of Ohio and the county of Ninton
in the capacity of prosecuting sttor
ney at the little town of Macarthur
He then wore rather a youthful and
possibly somewhat verdant appear.
ance for a man holding so response.
BILE position. The most conspicu-
Gus parsonage known to the Vinton
bar at that time was a grave and
pompous barrister from neighbor-
ing town-a 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 invectiye and pointed
sarcasm blanched the cheek of the
witness or the prisoner, as might be
necessary to gain the case, and he
was alike dreaded and hated by his
fellow practitioners. The attorney
referred to Is living vet, one of the
most prominent jurists in southern
Ohio. His ability has not dimin-
ished, nor has his knowledge that he
possesses ability. One day the
young prosecutor had a riot case to
try, and to his CONSERVATION he
learned that the gentleman referred
to had been retained by the defense
The prosecutor handled his case
with great care, but from the first did
not hope to convict the prisoners.
He was stirred up somewhat, how
ever, by the sneering allusions made
to him during the examination by
the imported counsel, and so when
he came to make his opening speech,
he INDUCED in little bombast him
self. He expected to be torn up
somewhat by The imported counsel,
but was utterly unprepared for the
simoom that swept through the court
room when the imported counsel
got fairly under way. He 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 horror at the though of so
youthful a youth undertaking to
measure swords with him. The voice
was loud and bitter in its denuncia-
ton the manner threatening and
awe-inspirlng, and with face of scorn
he sat down with folded arms and
awaited the verdict which he did
not suppose they dared refuse to
render. The young prosecutor was
mad. He felt that he would ike to
thrash the imported counsel out of
his boots. He arose to his feet, un-
certain for a 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 IL the breast of his vest,
while under over arching eyebrows
he scowled out at the jury. The
jury dropped to it" in an instant
So did the Judge, so did the specta-
tors. There was the familiar pose Of
the imported counsel, perfect in its
imitation. Then the young prosecu-
tor began, and without opening his
lips, proceeded to copy the gesticu-
lations and movements of the emf
nent attorney who had proceeded
him. He snorted and cavorted, and
stamped and rolled mis- eyes. He
strode up and down in front of the
judge and jury, following in his ges-
ticulatioEs precisely those of which
they had Just seen the copy. ne
shook his finger menacingly under
the nose of the eminent gentleman,
and then assuming the statesman
like pose, he looked down upon him
disdainfully. Then he would stop
and twirl on his finger a martingale
ring, which he drew from his pock-
ct, and which was intended TO rep
resent the large seal ring on the small
finger of the left hand of the oppos-
ing counsel. 1t was too much. The
eminent attorney appealed to the
court for protection, while the Judge
laughed until the tears rolled down
his cheeks, and the jury and the
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 imported coun-
sci broke for the door, and the jury, |
after fifteen minutes absence, |
brought in a verdict OF guilty.-C5- |
limbus l0.) Times.