Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-08-08
The Lawyers Story.


are born great, some achieve greatness
and others have greatness thrust upol
them," is very taking in the first an
alysis; but it can be easily narrowed
down to the statement that some mel
achieve greatness.
IT'S true that some men are borl
greater than others, but be a man
brain ever so powerful he must never
theless work for what lasting fame HI
may acquire; the greater his talents
the easier his undertaking.
TO an unobservant mind it Otter
seems that chance alone has elevated
some men to the heights of fame, blu
it is not so; the opportunity present.
itself to all, but the brilliant MAJ
seizes the opportunity and makes
himself great.
Every one has heard of the world
renowned lawyer; few men have evel
made such reputation at the bar as
he the story of his first case will
illustrate what to many may have
seemed the workings of chance, bu
which was in reality the ability of q
great mind to gasp at trivial oppor.
tunity and by its aid to elevate its
possessor. The story will relate in
his own words:
AT the time of which you speak
was about twenty-four years of age
and had Just been admitted to the bar
| had studied hard, and my precep.
tor predicted for me great success in
the profession | had chosen in fact
! felt myself that | was sure of sue
cess sooner or later. This feeling
was not that of vanity, but only a
consciousness of power.
81 must confess anticipated many
years of hard work-not that | had
by any means an easy time in my life,
for reputation has its drawbacks as
its advantages, and one must always
be striving to keep abreast or ahead
of it. | anticipated many years of
hard work before making any reputa-
ton, or even having any difficult case
upon which TO exercise my ability.
zone day took up the morning
paper, according to my usual custom,
and was soon interested in the graphic
account of a cold-blooded murder
and robbery. The Colonial, one of
the richest banks of the city, bad
been robbed of twenty thousand
pounds, and the night-porter shot.
The cashier was found the morning
after the occurrence in Il small closet
in the inner Office, and his death was
expected hourly-the great wonder
being that he had not been smothered.
Like many others, | took an inter-
est in the case, which was so myster-
ious, no clue being found except a
black mask and revolver which had
been dropped in the Office The night.
porter occupied room Oh the lower
floor, but his body was discovered in
the room adjoining the Office in which
the cashier was found, and in which
was the safe. The doctors all agreed
that the pight-porte' had lived for at
least ten minutes after being shot ;
that he must have struggled hard, for
his head showed marks of blows from
the butt of Il revolver That this
could all take place in an adjoining
room and the cashier not to be put on
his guard seemed absurd, and there
were many who claimed that he was
an accomplice, had opened the safe,
and then been locked in the closet
without considering the insulficiency
of air.
THE cashier, contrary to all ex-
pectations, recovered and told his
story. He stated that he was detain-
ed at the bank by some work until
nine o'clock. He heard no noise of
any kind, but was seated at his desk
busily writing, when he heard some
ono exclaim, Look around or make a
noise and you are a dead man =
Looking mutually ahead, he beheld
in the mirror over his desk a man in
his shrt-sleeves who held a revolver
close to his head. The fellow was
about six feet in height, quite stout,
had ON black mask which covered
his face to his mouth; his chin was
DuTc, uUu Ills ItNblNtT NtS ntlu III
the right hand, the left arm being cut
off at the elbow,
"This he saw in the few seconds
that elapsed before the robber ordered
him to get up, repeating his iniunc-
ton not look round or make noise.
"He then said, j have come for
the money in that safe. have kill
ed the night-porter, and will kill you
unless you open it. In order to show
you that | mean business, | have
brought the body of the night-porter
upstairs, and he is in the next room.
Walk to the door and look at him.
You need not try to escape, for the
door is locked, and | will shoot you il
you attempt it