The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-08
SOME ECCENTRIC ATTORNEYS
RecOllectiOns Of Once Noted Figures
Before the Marion County Bar.
The Methods Judge Wick Employed to Ar
rive at Conclusien-GOy. Hendricks
RecOllectiOns of the Walpoles.

Of four we'll known characters at the Marion
county bar-Robert WalpoIe, Thomas Walpole
Sims Colley and Joseph Roberts-Joseph Rob
erts alone remains alive Dir Roberts was the
youngest of the four, and is now getting along
in years One morning, several, years ago. Mr.
Roberts, who was of a convivial temperament,
appeared in court a little hilarious. Judge c. c.
Hines was on the bench. Mr. Roberts, en-
deavorine to bring himself in harmony with the
grave surroundings assumed very dignifed
pose, and sat frowning at the court. AS
the judge was rendering a decision and
giving authorities Mr.. Roberts would nod his
head and say encouragingly and patronizingy
Second Wick. second Wick. Your Honor
sees the point your Honor sees the poiptp'
Mr. Roberts, it must be understood, was
a great admirer of Judge W. W. Wick. The
Judge requested him to ba quiet and proceeded
with his opinion. Mr. Roberts could not sup
press his admiration and approval. He broke
out again, Second Wick, be Cad Your
Honor sees the point!"
'NIr. Sheriff, said the Judge, ''You will ar
rest Mr.. Roberts for contempt of court and i'm
prison him in the county Jail for twenty four
hours"
DR.. Roberts. arose. waved his hand more in
sorrow than in anger at the Judge, and disap-
peared under conduct of the sheriff few
minutes later very manly and, at the same
time. amply apologize note was brought FROM
Mr. Roberts from the Jail, to Judge Hines the
culprit insisting that his remarks were all in
| tended to be complimentary. He was imme-
diately pardoned and released Since then Judge
40 had o{o x@t
friend and admirer than Mr. Roberts; and there
has never been bar meeting held where judicial
candidates were talked of that Mr.. Roberts has
not brought forward the name Of Judge Hines,
although that gentleman would never be can
didate.
the late W. W. Wick was one of the clearest
headed and most conscientious judges this bar
has ever known. He was called upon once no
great while before his death, the regularsudge
having been called away, to sit as a special
judge 1t was a badly -muddled case, and, after
giving the afternoon to hearing it, he said he
would take the papers home and try to come to
some conclusion When he came to give his
decision, he said: '.Weli, took the papers
home, and didn't get much light on them. Then
several glasses of ale. Still I didn't
seem to see my way clear I then
went over to Jake's and rolled ten-pins for an
hour. Even that failed to help me to form a de-
cision. Now, boys, I'm going to guess it off. !"
He then gave his decision, which, in spite of his
jocose remarks, showed that he had closely stud
led the case and given the best Judgment
Vlce-president Hendricks has said that when
the late Thomas Walpole was a young MANN
fact. when they were both young, and Mr.. Wal
pole Wing, becoming afterward Democrat
that he was a most formidable practitioner.
llr. Walpole had a fashion, during trial by
jury. of sitting as near the jury as possible and
then making running comment on the testi-
mony as the witnesses gave it in. He did this in
a low voice to his client but in an undertone
that might be heard by juryman if he was GU
r1ous-and Jurymen always strain themselves to
hear what they should not hear. IL the i1dge
objected, Mr. Walpole was ready with the reply
that he was merely comforting with his client
But it will readily be seen that when Mr. Wal
pole was allowed to get in his work in this way
the argument of the opposing counsel met with
a stonewall IN the jurymen who had been caves
dropping.
Some years ago the the case of Andrew J.
Dennison, indicted in Hancock county for
assault with intent to kill, was brought to
1 ehs county s on change Of Den
Walpole was. defending and David S. Gooding
was prosecuting. Alr. Walpole always dressed
in black and wore spike tailed coat. woman
who had seen the shooting was on the witness
Slauu Cllo Was SedGeu at one 6nQ or a long
green baize-covered table, and Mr.. Walpole at
the other Rising with great deliberation, and
walking slowly toward her, he asked, in an awe
inspiring voice: Whereabouts, madam, i'm
mediately precedin' the hearin' of the firm of
iast9' ~ D '" l'''''0n
The woman seemed paralyzed She couldn't
utter a word. Mr. Gooding asked him to put
the question so that it could be understood. He
did SO in this way: Madam, to bring myself
dnyv To hn nhnf1 Of lad -
will YOU say whether he was goin' up the hill or
comm DOWN.
One of the celebrated cases in this county was
the trial of Bennett Bryant, a farmer, living out
near what is now Crown Hill Cemetery, for the
attempted murder of his son-in-law Joseph
Moore. He threw pitchfork at Moore which
struck him. one of the tines going through the
spinal column at the neck. Moore fell, and from
that time although he lived several years, was
paralyzed from his neck downward He had
been a man of little or reading or education,
but after his injury many books were read to
him. and he became sort of authority in his
neishborhood IN politics. current events and his
tory. Bryant was defended by Thomas Wal
pole. Mr.. Walpole had way of arranging
dramatic. situations and pathetic scenes in
court. During the trial Mr.. Walpole was sitting
near his client. A chair was beside the prisoner,
and his little daughter had been brought
started in upon his speech The little girl, the
room being cold, had gone over behind the stove
to warm. Mr. Walpole stopped in his speech
picked up the chair, and, starting toward the
stove, said: ''Come here little girl; come and
take your seat in this chair" Then, resuming
his moving appeal to the jury: Gentlemen of
the jury, remember that when you strike this man
you strike this little child that when you strike
down the giant oak you strike down the tender
little ivy that clings to its bark" The machinery
in this case was so ludicrously apparent that Mr..
Walpoles effort fell fiat.
Sims Colley was once engaged in defending
on beautiful and delicate little girl. There
was no accomplishment of the deed but merely
an attempt. Jonathan W. Gordon and w. r.
Fishback were prosecuting. Major Gordon in
ing mention of the innocence of the child, and
that.the purity of her mind was such that the
slightest carnal suggestion would cause it an
injury He likened this purity to the delicate