Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-26
ROSCOE CONKLING.
His Success in the Suit of Stokes
Against Jay Gould.

NEW YORK, July 24.-Eyeryb has
fed to the country. Roscoe Conkling is
about the only prominent man left in
town. No matter how not the weather,
ne turns up in court daily, arguing cases
with consummate ability and plling up
fortune which just now seems to be the
summit of his ambition. He won new
laurels in the suit of Edward S. Stokes
against Jay Gould, yclept 1.-The Bankers
and Merchants Telegraph Company vs..
the Western Union" The case has been
so befogged by lOng.winded reports of the
trial that it will bear condensation for
popular information. Here IL is briefly:
The Ame rican Rapid Telegraph Company
became bankrupt. Its wires passed into
the possession OF the Bankers and Mer-
chants Company. The latter company
became embarrassed and went into the
hands of receiver. In the litigation over
the estate OF the American Rapid Com
pany the Western Union acquired right
to it's wires. Judge DonOhue granted an
order directing the receiver OF the Bank
ers and Merchants Company to surrender
the American Rapid wires to the West
ern Union. Meantime, however, the
Bankers and Merchants had stretched
some OF it's own wires on the poles of the
Rapid Company. The receiver found 1t
difficult To separate them. In fit of in
dignatiOn DR.. Norvin Green cut all the
wires on the poles Of the Rapid Company
in this city, and led them into the West
ern Union office. This isolated the Bank
ers and Merchants Company and stopped
its business. A suit was brought for
damages, and it was this suit that Conk-s
ling won. The company got $240,000
damages.
HE ARGUED THE CASE
before the jury early in the morning, when
very few prominent men were present.
Rarely has he appeared to greater advan-
tage. He spoke little less than two
hours, He was In perfect bodily and In
tellectual health. His voice was unusu-
ally clear. The nasal twang so pro-
nouncad in his efforts at political conven-
tons was much, ,softened. His argument
was compact and Ornamented with sar-
casm that at times made the atmosphere
almost rIdescent. He wore dark gray
suit that fitted him to pertectlon. His
coat was long cutaway, and his trous-
ers were OF the new peg-top cut. A hand
kerchief with a blue border peeped from
his breast pocket, and he wore Il lilac
cOlored necktie and broad white cuffs.
His speech was evidently carefully pre-
pared and he had apparently committed
1t to memory. Each sentence was per-
fectly rounded and classically expressed.
The court room was as still as death. At
times the ex-senator paused, as though
studying the effect of his argument on the
jury. Then he would draw himself up to
his full height, lowering his white index
hnger TO dead level, like duelist level
ing derringer, and shoot pointed facts
into the foreman of the panel, and the
minds of MS hearers, who listened with
rapt attention. His address was nude
all the more powerful by its contrast with
the speech of Bob Ingersoll, who had pre-
ceded MIN.
BOB WAS RETAINED ON THE SAME SIDE
as Conkling, and made what ne con-
sidered the effort OF his side. 1t was elo-
Quent and mastery, but it did not seem
TO take root. He had the advantage of
Roscoe in having the opening; yet ex-
tracts from Conkling's argument are
floating all over the country, while Bob
ls hardly mentioned. 1t Is to Conkling's
credit tnat in no case did he tread in
Bob's footsteps Or attempt to broaden
BOb's deductions, He cut a swath OF his
own, raked his own hay, and cooked it.
His logic was direct, fresh, original and
adorned with quaint and seductive pecu-
harities. Since the days OF James I.
Brady and Ogden Hoffman the bar of
New York has not heard a more eloquent
been warmly congratulated by his friends.
No man was more delighted than Ed.
Stokes. He placed his span OF trotters at
Mir. COnkling's disposal, and on the fol-
lowing afternoon Roscoe bowled along
the boulevard, ribbons in hand, the OBJ
served OF the observers. At night he
bathed in the marble tank of the Athletic
Club in the glow OF the electric lights.
He wore silken trunks, and his fine phys-
al a We
ings in the hearts OF members who sat
beneath the tropical shrubbery and
watched his aquatic antics.
MR.. CoNKLING PAYS NO ATTENTION TO
POLITICS.
He rarely converses on political topics
with even his most intimate friends. His
thoughts are concentrated on the practice
of his profession, and he is rapidly accu-
muiating fortune. He Is the pink OF
neatneSS, but he iS neither expensive nor
extravagant in his tastes and habits. |
never saw him in cab, and have seen
him only once in horse car. He usually
walks to his Office and from there to the
court room. Not long ago | seen him
rush into beer saloon, drink foaming
lager, and regale himself at the free luncn
counter. 1t was to save time-not money.
A fortune secured, he may, like Gen. Cor
don OF Georgia, re-enter the political lists,
and make New York politics more lively
than they have been made since the days
of Siias Wright.
ROscoe's brother Fred will probably be
the successor of John j. Adams, now rep
resenting one of the city Congress dis
tricts. Fred is Colonel of the Eighty
fourth N. q. :. N. Y. He is thirteen
years older than Roscoe, and has already
served term in Congress. The Colonel
is seventy wears old, He is atYable and
devoted 10 the service OF mis- friends. He
is as tall as Roscoe and as straight as an
arrow. He has the face OF an old Roman,
and the nerve of lion. The only sign OF
decay about MIN is a slight deafness.
ZIsKA.
WAGNERS NEW OPERA.