Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-01-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Dave Culberson and Simon Suggs-An
Incident Of Old Days.
Quantity Curious Southern Books Which
Should be Read.
CulbersOn's Speech at the Bar Of the
Texas Legislature.

Special Correspondence of the Gazette
Washington, January 25.-When
Hon. ID. b. Culberson came to the bar
he practiced before the famous humor-
list and adroit lawyer Judge Dougherty
of Southeastern Alabama. He and
Dougherty, Georgians by birth, were
staunch friends, constituting a mutual
admiration society. Culberson's first
client---I think it was in
doubtable Mr.. Young, better known
as "Simon Suggs,n the inimitable
knave and hero OF Jonse Hooper's de-
licious book, having rs It's title this
pseudonym of Culberson's client. 1t
seems that Suggs, then acting as con-
stable in magistrates court, had
stolen neighbours property. He was
II shrewd observer, and ascl ibed to Mr..
Culberson, then beardles and brief
less, that sort OF tact and force inds-
pensable to his own (Suggs') escape
from the clutches of the law. He en-
ployed Culberson, and was barely ac-
quilted. But Culberson was thor
oughly aroused, and Simon Suggs,
as did the Judge and jury,
discovered that he had wisely chosen
Culberson as his representative before
the court. OF course Suggs paid no
fee. He never paid debt. Some
months later Mr.. Culberson, needing
n little money, dunned Suggs for SIS.
Suggs could not repress his unmixed
| astonishment. He said TO Culberson
"Of course you whipped that dis
trict attorney. l node you would; but
nobody else node 1t. Now they all
kno' it, and your fortunes made, and
did it. I've been thinkin'
ov akin you for fifty dollars
for sum time. Why, sir, my imploy
in you was wuth 5000 to you, and l
only AK for S50.o
Culberson, so the story goes, con-
fessed the justice of Sugg's demand,
and gave and paid the /. o. u. for
$50.
Whether details of this story be cor
rectly given or not, IL is substantially
will not gainsay 1t. And lie. me add,
en- PEASANT, that intelligent people who
would have thorough compre-
hension of the humorous side
of Southern character should
read Georgia Scenes" written by
General Longstreet's uncle, Judge A.
b. Longstreet, la.e president of the
university of Mississippi; "Simon
Suggs,n by the Montgomery editor.
Jonse Hooper, and "Flush Times in
Alabama and Mississippi by Joe
Baldwin, an Albanian and
staunch friend of Mr.. Culberson, vino
died u young lawyer in 1854 in Cali
fornia. Baldwin, aside from his keen
sense of the ridiculous, as delinea-
tor of character and descriptive writer,
was pronounced by Senator Butler,
Calhoun's colleague in the United
States senate, the choicest and most
tasteful story-teller the South ever
produced.
1t was my purpose, however, to tell
of the peculiarities of Mr.. Culberson
and not of the extraordinary men with
whom he was associated in the flush
| times of Alabama" and of his early
manhood. His triumph in the Suggs
trial was only remarkable TO the ex-
tent that 1t was the first of hundreds
like it. Twenty-Five years have
elapsed since he came to the bar, and
he has lost his cause, have Heard, in
only three instances, and he is en-
ployed for or against every great Of
fender in his state, Dan Voorhees,
surpasses him In nothing as an advo-
cate or prosecutor, and If Brewster be
impeached, Dave Culberson should
conduct the prosecution.
ONE OF HIS TRIuMPHs.
When the 18th legislature of Texas,
supposed to have been the most cor
rupt body Of lawyers ever gathered by |
the force of Federal reconstruction or |
other laws, were convened in Austin, |
the International railway company |
III.