The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-10-31
JNo. F. PoINDEXqER.
Sketch of Stokes County's Distinguished
( Lawyer, by Bailey of Mecklenburg.

Lawyer, by Bailey. of Mecklenpurg.
sketchee indicates the year when the author
knew him.-ED.
Began life, ca relatione, as con-
stable; exhibited so much ANALYTICAL
powerin the working UP of a case that
he WAS urged to study law He took
the advice and came to the bar. He
possessed a very superior intellect,
and acting upon his early experience
as constable, he never started
prosecution until he had the s'dead
wood on the defendent AS to his
personal appearance, he was above
the the average height: we'll moulded
features, rather large nose, and firm
chin. His head was very round,
deep-set steel blue eyes, eyebrows
strongly defined large, high, shape
ly forehead sandy hair, and, when l
first knew him, becoming scanty He
chewed tobacco economically, not like
Cloud. One quid would often last a
morning session. He was elected So
licitor Generals Gas the solicitor of
the Orange District was unmeaningly
called) In 1846, and held the office for
many years. Nobody escaped, or ex-
pected to escape, who was indicted by
"Old Poins," as he was familiarly
called. Poins was a judicial Nemesis.
He possessed but little learning or
culture, but an immense fund of sub
acid humor l recall two anecdotes.
GLANVILLE AND BRACTON
Once Mr.. James T. Morehead, a
worthy gentleman, father of the pres
ent Col. J. t. Morehead, of Green's
boro, whose mind had beceme very
garret Of legal lore, who is elsewhere
noticed. in arguing criminal laid
down proposition of law which tend
ed to exonorate his client, and stated,
with his usual emphatic earnestness
that the law as thus expounded "was
so laid down by Glanville, who was
Chief Justice to and wrote in the reign
of Hen. II.
In reply Gen Poindexter said, with
coat-tails uplifted by his left hand,
that he 'was not aware until he heard
the speech of his learned friend that
Glanville was to be found in our H.
braries. [ am gratified to learn that
fact. [ admit that the law as stated
by Mr.. Morehead was so laid down
by Glanville, who wrote in the reign
of Hen. H., but economically shifting
his quid from one side of his mouth
to the other, not dashin5 it out and
tearing off another like Cloud, and
rolling his steel blue eyes upon his op-
ponent, it was laid down by Bracton,
who wrote in the reign of Hen. I'LL,
just the other way"
Silence his title, most illogically given, of
fs(ieneraL"
This was a habit old Poins had whenever
an Earthquake repartee was coming-a sure
precursor.
SECOND ANECDOTE-THE MANN CASE.
Poins was prosecuting a man for
main. consisting in biting off an ear.
States witness under cross examina-
tion by Gov. Graham+ 1.-THE Governor
was exceedingly dignifed, and John
w. Norwood said of him that he could
make more reputation in scaling out"
defendant on a ca sa. than he could
by carefully prepared speech in an
ejectment case. When Graham arose.
for even simple motion, in the county
court, the presiding justices seemed to
sink down, the deaf crier was on the
qui vive, and the bystanders, no mat
ter what he said, when he had said it,
would nudge each other with "Je-
whilikens, don't that beat all? u
Gov. Graham, to Witness
sir. the accident occurred in barn
did it not? ,7-
Witness-Yaas, sur.
Gov. Graham-Well, sir, were not
the planks laid down loose upon the
| sleepers
| Witness-Yaas, sur. H5
| Gov. Graham-Now, sir, [ ask you
if, in the course of the scuffle thepros
ecutor's ear might not have got be.
tween the planks of the floor and by
the planks coming together suddenly
have been pinched off? =
Witness After scratching his heao
good while]. Well, Governor, il
mout and then agin it moutent. Be
ing turned back to old Poins for re
direct. e~s
Poins5-[ Looking at witness most
seriously from under his pet brows
and shifting his quid.] 1 ask you
under the solemn oath you have tax
] en-, if the prosecutor might not have
bit off his own ear?
iaW " illness After more and intense
scratching and considerable shifting
OF his feet and splitting of cotton, the
sweat raining down his forehead,
General Poindexter, he mout-
[pausing] and then again he moutent
: Note-This art-exquisite index o
genius turning evidence is entire
| ly lost to the present generation 0
lawyers, if | may except that mode
nisi prius lawyer, Tom Fuller.
tPoindexter had read Blackstone and remem
bered that Bracton followed Glanville, but fla
neither had ever been iu this State. lie ha
never seen Bracton and was quite confden
that Morehead had never seen Glanyille. M,
father presided, gave me the anecdote and sal
: it was the most exquisite hume. ever perpetra
q ted. ,,,... ss.s..., .1r.3y7 j.
Il tone of the greatest men of my day.
shall ever esteem h i'm as a personal friend; a
ways affable and kindly to me, and 1 believ
that he never enjoyed q hearty laugh until 'ol
his presence "Judge Caldwell's' Courtship."
never listened to Governor Graham. withou
. learning something, which cannot faithful
say of any other of the men of nay day. CIs
rum ct venerable nomen t.eu1s
~ Ifyou are suffering ith weak or inflams
eyes, or granulated cyelids, you can
quickly cured by using DR.. J. II. Mclean
Strengthening Eye SaIve. 25 cents box