Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-03-28
An Unexpected Advocate.


Daviess county, in Kentucky, was
named after brilliant, eccentric law
YER. who fell at the battle Of Tppecanoe.
His popularity in the state was I'M
bounded, he was genial, tkind7hearted,
an able lawyer, powerful orator, and
one of the best of hunters.
Such was his passion for hunting that,
instead of "riding the circuit" as the
other lawyers did, he would shoulder
his rifle and range the woods between
the places where court was held. Often
he would appear in court dressed in the
hunters costume-dear-skin leggins,
linsey hunting-shirt and coon-skin cap.
One day, while thus roaming the
woods in part of the state where ne
was not personally known, he came
across log school house. A trial was
going on. A poor young laborer, while
wandering through that section, had
been arrested on the charge OF horse
stealing-a charge at that time about
equivalent to death warrant.
The room was filled with rough:loOk-
ing crowd, whose expressions indicated
that they would willingly aid in hanging
the prisoner. The magistrate read the
warrant of arrest, and the prosecuting
attorney began the production of his
evidence.
T. seemed to doom the prisoner, who
looked pitifuIly around, as if to find one
friendly face among that hostile crowd.
Something attracted him to the tall, stall
wart backwoodsman. who, in hunting
costume, stood leaning ON his rifle at the
back part Of the room. His face seemed
to beam kindly upon the poor prisoner.
Evidently he WAS stranger, for no one
spoke to him.
The last witness was big, double-fsted,
loud-voiced bully. His testimony was so
minute and circumstantial thatlt seemed
to leave not chance for the prisoner.
"Have you," said his honor, address
ing the prisoner, as a matter OF form,
"any witnesses, or do you wish to ask
any questlonsY
The poor fellow had not single wit
ness, but he did ask The bully two or
three questions. But the loud and hui
morous replies SO confounded him that
he sank back, prepared to submit to bis
fate.
II would like to ask the witness two or
three questions" said the tall back
woodsman, laying aside his rife and
placing himself directly in front of the
bully. In a sharp, peremptory tone,
which upset the witness confidence, he
asked few questions that showed him
up as a liar.
The prosecuting attorney, seeing his
case melt away, fastened to protect his
principal witness. The bully strove to
cover his confusion by clustering threats
of what he would do to any one who in
suited him. =.
At last the magistrate, who had
framed an impressive speech with which
to sentence the prisoner, asked, with
considerable asperity Of tone, II say,
stranger, what mought your name be-"
Joseph Hamilton Daviess," answer
ed the backwoodsman, giving a name
known to every man and woman in
Kentucky. The judge became obsequi-
GUS, and the big witness looked dis
MAYED.
A few more questions, a brief, ringine
argument, and the prisoner went out OF
the log cabin without the suspicion Of
being horse thief. He was an honest
laborer, who, while making his way on
foot to his relatives in distant country,
had been arrested on the false charge,
AS Daviess would not accept penny for
his services, the young man insisted on
CARRYING his protectors gun accroutre-
ments, as they walked together to the
next town.
II was never better paid in my life
than by the gratitude of that young fell
low" said Davies, in narrating the
story.