The Cecil Whig., 1886-07-10
B'"''''. 7"'''o''. fiction.
LEGAL ANECDOTES.

The writer remembers hearing of a
gentleman who, not wishing to pay the
legal and recognized fee for a consulta-
ton with his lawyer, devised an expe-
dent whereby he expected to gain the
information he required without the
usual cost. He accordingly Invited the
man Learned in the law" to dine at
his house on a particular evening, as a
friend and old acquaintance. The law
yer gladly accepted the invitation, and
attended at the house of his friend and
client prompt TO the minute. The con-
versatlon for some time was very gen.
eral and agreeable, and by and by the
shrewd client, by limiting and suggest
ing, at last drew the lawyer out into a
learned and explicit dissertation upon
the subject the host wished to be in
formed upon. The client pleased, sat
lsfied, and smiling, chuckled in his
sleeve, thinking how nicely he had
wormed out the advice desired ana
pumped his lawyer free of cost.
The fea9t over, the lawyer departed,
equally pleased, and, both being salts
fed, all went as merry as marriage
bell. But few days afterward the client
received letter from his lawyer in
forming him that the charge for pro-
fessional consultation and advice was
IS shillings and 4 pence, and would he
"kindly attend to the payment of same
at his earliest convenience, and oblige."
The client was wild-caught in his own
trap ; but, being determined to outwlt
the lawyer and gain his own ends, he
forwarded to the latter bill for "din-
ner, wines, and accessories supplied''
on the 10th inst, amounting to Is
shillings and 1 pence, saying that if he
would settle inclosed bill he should
only be too pleased and happy to set.
tie the lawyers little bill. The lawyer
retorted by threatening to commence
an action against mine host for selling
wines without license unless his, the
lawyers, bill was Immediately paid
Do need to say that the lawyer wa:
victorious2
When l was boy, heard of a law.
yer who was called up in the middle o
a cold winters night to draw out tht
will of an old farmer who lived some
three miles away, and who was dying
The messenger had brought a cart tc
convey the lawyer to the farm, and tht
latter in due time arrived at his desti
nation. When he entered the house ht
was Immediately ushered into the sick
room, and then he requested to be sup
piled with pen, ink, and paper. Ther'
were none in the house The lawye
had not brought any himself, and wha
was he to do? Any lead-pencil? he in
quired. No; they had none. Th'
farmer was sinking fast, though quit,
conscious. At last the legal gentleman
saw chalked up on the back of th'
bedroom door column upon column
Of figures in chalk. They were mill
''scores" or "shots." He immediatel
asked for piece of chalk, and then
kneeling on the floor he wrote out con
cisely upon the smooth hearthstone tn,
last will and testament ofthe dying man
The farmer subsequently died. Th'
hearthstone will was sent to the princi
pal registry in London with special aft
davit, and was duly proved, the will be
deposited in the archives of the regis
try. | may mention that the law doe
not state upon what substance or will
what instrument will must be written
There was once a plain, outspokel
judge who, addressing the jury, said
"Gentlemen of the jury, in this cas-
the counsel on both sides are unintelli
gible, the witnesses on both sides ar
incredible, and the plaintiff and defend
ant are both such bad characters tha
to me 1t is indifferent which way yo,
give your verdict.
1t was once reported to the notoriou
| Judge Ietfries that the Prince of Orang
was on the point of entering into tn
country, and that he was already pre-
pairing a manifesto as to his induce
ments and objects in so doing. "Pray
my lord chief JUSTICE said a gentle
man present, "what do you think wi
be the heads of this manifesto ?
"Mine will be one," he grimly replied
An unuoubted alibi was some tim
ago successfully proved in an Amer
can court as follows
''And you say you are innocent {