New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-09-29


out the necessary papers, secured the
pension and charged her $2OO-half
OF what the government had allowed
her, The poor old woman came into
OUT Office, quite blind, deaf, and
on erutches. She stated to Lincoln
her case, who sympathized with her
an5 promised to make Wright 1isgoree
at least 500. He wentto see Wright in
person, but he refusedino refund any
tMng. The old womansat once COM
msi,ced suit, Lincoln going security
for costs. The case FINELY got before
the jury with all the. facts fully told.
Alncoln then arose to, begin his argu.
Eient. He soon became warm, and
tRen eloquent with his feelings. He
/ seemed to have grown: to be nine feet
/ high. He blasted las with a thunder.
, bolt the miscreant who had robbed
the poor old woman. His body
shook with feeling. his eyes flashed
hire The jury became. indignant and
would have mobbeG Wright in a
minute but for tie. restraint OF the
Court. No man ever had stlch con-
troll over the emotions Of the people
|; as Lincoln then hadovest that Jury and
the spectators. They followed him
they wept at one moment, and then
were ready to burst with indignation
at the next. Thssuit was civil one
there being no, law regulating the
ices OF attorneys in pension cases
then-and the Jury made Wright dis
gorge all but about $50. Lincoln had
volunteered his, services, charged thu
old woman nothing, and even paid
her hotel bill and other expenses dur.
ing the trial.
Lincoln still continued practieine
law after his return from Congress, in
l849, and SO. successfully divorced
himself from politics and politicians
that he was numbered among the
political dead. His fame as a
shrewd lawyer was spreading all
over Illinois now, and the
heretofore. humble firm OF Lincoln &
Herndon began to push forward
Herndo@, the youngest OF the two,
prepared the papers, while lincoln did
the work IN open court. He told the
stories and managed all the jury cas-.
es. IN point of ingenuity he was un,
equaEled, and his strategy was such as
to make the other lawyers stand in
dread Of him. Never term OF court
adjourned that the jurymen and spec.
tators did not go each to his prairie
home with an indelible recollection Of
his strategy and a goodly stock of his
yarns. Although unknown outside
of his own State, he was fast tying
himself on to the affections of the
farmers OF Illinois.
During the long winter evenings the
]oafers, in heavy boots, as they squirt
ed tobacco juice over the stove in the
country postoffice, and the broad
shouldered men who met at log-rollings
and barn-raisings all took delight ir
listening to zone ofLincoln's stories. =
Douglass may have seemed their ia
vorite leader, but Lincoln's wit and
tact were fast making inroads on THEN
affections. A great storm was brew.
ing; old Zach Taylor, who had refused
Lincoln the Land Office, had passed
away. Douglass had brought the fire
by the introduction of his Kansas
Nebraska bill, and the man who only
yesterday sat on the Court House
steps amusing a crowd with his bar
room stories was about to be forced
out into the nation gaze. He was tC
be the exponent of q great principle
and this was the beginning OF a great
epoch.