The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-09-15
an enduring f

~
LUTHER LArIIN MILLS.
In 1872 | sat iu q pew Of the First Con
grcgational church no Chicago and saw
a family file into thcstail ahead Of mine
Father, mother and children took Their
places with that air Of familiarity which
comes TO Tie regular attendant, striking
the young stranger with force. st the
aisle end Of the pew WAS q youth Who az
once challenged mg interest SO - J
remember talked much Of "aniniiics
Here was my affinity liked him. lie
was bored. WIS sorry for him. Bat
he was the picture Of good nature. The
soemncst organ hatcr and psalm singer
of them all would not have losttolcmucc
for the pulling look thatat once settled
On the boy. There was clever cNpro,.
sion in the faces OF his sisters. il said
,n effect that ,ho brother was now To-
have bad quarter of an hour, and the
brothers look responded with the
thought that Inc would j. were only 20
quarter Yet with the preparation foi
the ordeal he fell asleep. The iorelock
tumblcd on his face. there was sister
~ umpus anI the chastcncl sinner
arose TO sing.
Through the sermon my hero fingered
upon the verge Of drcamland Already
enlisted in his service, L could have
pushed him wo' over the happy border
Evidently liking him as well, the sister,
were busy with the salvation of his good
name in the rich flock. LEFT the church,
believing that habit had made the sab
baths experience pleasant to all parties.
The youth was not annoyed The sisters
were jealous that lac should keep all the
proprictics. inquired about him in the
congregation. Oh, yca. That was Lu
thcr Laiiin Nills-alrcady with Che long
name, Won acc-the brightest member o.
the Society of ihe Golden Fleece 400 as
ISOLATION Of ric young church people
which disbanded when some deacon dc
clared il TO be a matrimonial agency
Wosll that an WicAcdncss might perish
with a resistance SD feeble.
Only -four years later my young mar
WAS elected states attorney for Cool
comfy. That is, it icll TO a iad to prose.
cute an the criminals Of this region, t.
move against all the enemies OF the pco
pie. 10 address courts and confront the
devil in ali the aspects which my lord
the devil puts on at Chicago. OF the
same age myself. / remember ! was glad
10 was not / who was 30 be tried. Tho
eight following years were remarkable
for the oratory that decorated tine prose
cution of justice in Chicago Ialk goes
for everything in court. The state had
the orator Young or old. celebrated or
merely ambitious. none of'tlo Chicago
lawyers, save Emory Storrs alone, had "a
golden tongue 90 match the voice of the
state which spoke in the mouth of
Luther Latin Mills. Every cause in
court was a great event. The trial of
the county commissioners "a periodical
thing in Chicago the trial of straw
bailers. the trial of Algina Mckee, the
trial and death of Sherry and Connolly
these matters suliiccd 10 set the town
talking Of our orator.
1t remained for Judge McAllister, in
granting a new trial for one Barns. to
out-Hcrol all the plncgyrists This
prisoner" said the most eminent of our
urists ldcad now, "was undoubtedly
convicted by means Of that peculiar in-
dehnablo power which the states attor
ncv possesses over juries. This
influence. which not one out of many
hundreds of orr bar possesses, IS fact
not 10 be ignored on motions for new
trials; for have been taught by cxpe
rioncc and observation that with a law
yer Of only ordinary ability opposed. the
states attorney, in nine cases out OF ten,
will secGre "a verdict Of guilty, not only
when there is a want of evidence TO sup
port it, but clear prcpondcrmncc against
lim."
II is needless t. say that all subsequent
urics were refreshed 10y citations OF
Judge McAllister, rs a proof that the
thief in hand ought TO 90 free. The
murder OF Officer Race, the trial OF
Lamb and Friedherg; the trill of Angel, /
Peter Stevens and his murdered child
wife, as thecity editors loved to head the
case. DR. EARL. the trial OF the gam
blcrs. the trial and hanging OF Tracy /
the trial of Theresa Sturlata and her i'm |
prisOnmont-these outlines recall long /
march of cxcitcment-a pulling and sin.
cere praising of the young states attor.
ney such as has no parallel ia western /
experience. Envy. malice, temptation /
arose on every hand The insn who
once carried 1900 extra votes to his
ticket at last lost many TO his rival Grin
nell; one great prosecutor gave way to
another, aud eloquence grew still in our
court rooms.
The unrivaled advocate went to hi
private Office and passed from the visions
Of terrified knavcs toappcaras the pillar
Of their support dislike such a trans
action, but it has been accompanied by
many bright appariiions of noble oratory
IN defense Of the.right. 1t has relieved
he scene Of many artificial lights. 1t
las left Luther Ilahin Mills his natural
grandeur When he speaks. wise men
gather, excluding the fools. The tribute
rom friend and foe, from client and op
from debtor and creditor, has
'lways been like tho renowned McAlIis
er's. God made Luther Latin Mills an
,rator.
OF late years the most notable appear
'ncs e, Of Of y