The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1884-01-20
The Young Lawyers First Gaze.


ease before jury is worthy Of the deep.
est commiseration. Take him, for In
stance, In the criminal court, before
which he has case. While the prose.
cutting attorney !. tying the FIRST witness
In bow.knois and untying him again, the
amateur sits listening, but endeayOfing
look ~ unconcerned as a marble statue
in a thunder storm He throws in
timid objections every time he secs 4
hole, and as each one Is overruled by tho
Court. no put. on & stern look, a. much
a. TO say, 'rll knock the wind out Of
that in the Supreme Court When the
prosecutor, usually ani old, able attorney
dryIy says. Take the witness" and the
youthful aspirant trembles little, and
endeayors 10 swallow something that IL
sticking in his throat. He feels that
every csc in the room IL upon hin, and
they are A. hot s. stove lids.
lie fires 8 few initiatory questions o {
the witness, and warns as he proceeds
until lie is brought up standing by, OH
your honor, VIC object 10 such ifreieta t
questions followed by few scathInE
remarks from the prosecutor. Tho Court
,ustains the objection. mud advises The
young lawyer ~ keep within his bounds,
which seis him TO wondering where Ia
the thunder the bounds arc. Objection
follows objections, and each one prompt.
ly sustained. Ho wonders why II il that
free ard independent people will
tolerate such one sided justice. He
plunkes ahead, bl.ndly now, until he be-
comes 80 confused that he docs not know
whether he Is a practicipg attorney with
a gilt-sign, or Gy-wheel or steam
wosd saw. Finally, he runs out Of ques-
tions, and with sigh OF relief or some-
thing, tells tho witness, "Thats ALL" 10
he grinds through, and al last the prose
cut0r rises and proceeds 10 address
the Jury in q mastery style. As he
progresses he picks up all the evidence
sdduccd by. the defense into particles
Gno enough to be incorporated into
Goldfish balls. The youthful Black
stone wrestler begins TO feel uneasy
o. his mind rcyerta TO tho fact that in 4
few moments he must deliver his maiden
speech.
lilo wishes the prosecutor would hold
his grip and keep II, until time to adjourn
court, feeling satisfied that no could
make n splendid speech the next day
after anights Sighting on the evidences.
He triea to remember what tho viii
nesscss wore TO, but cannot recall the
evidence Bavo his life. The prosecutor
winds up with grand peroration, and
men Of the jury" the youth ncrvously
Singers his moustache, and wishos he had
never begun the abominablc business.
Cold ehills arc lingering him all over
the back, as II measuring him for n new
shirt, and .his spinal column acts, az If IL
was tired and wanted % sit down awhile.
Like Banquo'S ghost, tho lump In his
throat won't stay down, by an absolute
majority, and he swallows IL and won
3 ders what he is going to say, and how
long II will take him to say IL. As the
prosecutor calmly takos his seat, the
young lawyer rises aud moves TO the
front He daros not look at the audi.
ence, andtrics to imagine there Ia no one
In tho room but himself and tho twelve
sphynx.liko formsin the jury box. The
eyes OF each juror are fixed upon him,
and he would almost relinquish his hope
OF heaven ii some one would raise cry
OF fire TO divert their attention until he
gets n start.
Finally, he shrugs his shoulders and
manages to remark Gentlemen of the
(swallowl jury" Very good. He then
surveys them moment, and every man
In the box thinks he is endeavoring to
read their thoughts; but he isn't. He
Is wishing to gracious he could read HE
own thoughts. At last no strikes out
and goes for them about their intelligent
looks, aud now he feels that his client.
interests are safe in their hands. AZ the
same time he feels serious doubts as 10
their safety in hiS own hands He worries
through his speech with an average of
two swallows at that lump to the sen. !
tence. The prosecutor closes the arcu. I
nent, and the case goes to the Jury. who /
retire to n secluded room to chow tohrc |
10 and ask each otheI what thev thought
OF It. IT 30 happeaed that the fimsy |
testimony against the accused warrant. |
verdict Of not guilty; whereupon the
amateur grasps his sclients hand and |
rhisperG "lt WAS q hard fight, but I
Got you out OF H." Then he rises, loads /
mp enough law books to swamp a mud |
scow, casts 4 triumphant look at the
prosecuting attorney, who smiles pleas.
antly in return, asd walks SLOWLY and
naiestically down tho aisle to the door
With as much dignity as .if he owned A
Western railroad. OIL you can't DENY
Il, even you old veterans ali
ham theral