The Opelousas courier., 1883-09-22
THE JUDGES WIFE.

banquet the other night, related an
interesting Renaissance Of the early
days of Arkansaw.
" I came here,'' said the Judge, "iust
after / had been admitted to the bar
in a Northern State. Like the ave-
rage young lawyer, / was poor, and
: actually thirsted for a case. Shortly
latter / arrived, | went to a mountain
district, and stopped at a small town
where court was in session. There
was considerable excitement in the
town owe the trial of a young man
who had been indicted for murder.
The older lawyers were 10th to engage
in the prosecution, so the young prose-
cutting attorney was working single
handed. / met him the second day
after my arrival, and when he learned
that I was a lawyer, he said:
"sI am glad to see you, for l know
that, as a young man in the profess
sion, you of course want an introduce
ton to the people Of the State.
Nothing 30 quickly and effectually
introduces a nan like participancy
in an important case. | am at pres
ent prosecuting, for murder, a young
fellow named Dawes. He is as guilty
as. guilty can be, and should by all
means hang, yet / fear, with so much
opposition, thatI win not be able to as
sist justice to a proper punishment Of
the.terrible crime. Now, what I want
you to do is to assist me-
IT did not at all relish the idea
that my4first case should be n of
tragedy, and that my first money
derived from law should be blood
money but seeing no other opening,
and fearing that none other would
present itself. I consented. just be-
fore we reached the argument in the
ease, the prosecuting attorney was
taken violently III, leaving the entire
conduct of the a deyolying upon
me. This, to me, put a dreadful
phase on the affair, and for a time i
meditated whether or not / would run
away from the country and seek my
fortune elsewhere, but finally deciding
that + could never become a lawyer
without making sacrifices in the dis
charge of my duty, I resolved to re-
main and do my best. / studied the
case carefully. ! went to the place, a
short distance away, and examined
the ground where the murder had
been committed. I found a witness
who had not been summoned, and
upon, the whole did good detective
work. The arguments began. l
nerved myself to the point, and made
the best speech I could possibly for
mulate. / was somewhat surprised
1T mysown powers, and At the interest
III was taking IN the case. The pris-
oner, q handsome fellow, would at
times look at me: in mute appeal, but
/ knew that he was guilty. ] estab-
Iished the fact that the defendant
Had q~naEreled with an old man named
shannon and that shortly afterwards
he went to Shannon's field and shot
him from the fence. / made every
point 80 clear that / could see the
juryfaen shaking their heads when an
illustration was strikingly vivid. The
counsel for the defense, composed Of
old lawyers, whose fame had long
since been established. looked at me
in astonishment. They met me, and
wanted a compromise. / knew
nothing but justice, and justice knew
no compromise. Finally, the case
went To the jury. Within five minutes
afterward i verdict Of guilty was rem
dered.
An appeal to the supreme court
was taken, but Che decision of the court
below was sustained, and the young
man was hanged.
81 did not settle in the town, for
the scene became repulsive. /
moved to another part Of the State,
where i soon established d good
pradtica.
one day. about three years after
ward, ! met. at i northern watering
place, d beautiful young woman, whose
husband vas dying Of consumption.
She aeenied 50 devoted to him, con-
suited his every whim, and was SO
anxious about his comfort. that I
was attracted toward her. She did
not seem toaouht her husbands recoy-
biz, and when one evening i asked
her IL she did not think that he was
sinking rapidly her large, lustrous eyes
hiled with tears, and ii achoking voice
she replied
Idpn think that he il sick enough
To die.
But you should be prepared for
the wcfs I suggested
cannot be prepared for It.
No preparation can tighten the blow.
liz NE dies. Hi III nv desire III IA too