New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-04
THE CRIMINAL BAR.
MEMOIRS OF A BUSY CAREER.
LEAVES OF A LIFE, being the "reminiscences OF
Montscu Williams. Q. c. In two volume i-mo'
M xvi-33s Xii-33O. HOughton, Mhln ~ 90

LEAVES OF A LIFE, being the "reminiscences tsu, OF
NontsCu Williams. O. c. In two volumes. i-hlo
DID, xvi33s x33o. Houehton. Miiiln Il Co.
The author of these memoirs. Mr. Monagu
Williams. c. c.. was for nearly thirty years one
of the most distinguished and successful criminal
LAWYERS in the United Kingdom. Retained IN
all the most important trials that took place dur
ING that period his experiences were not only
broad. but peculiar. Known among the criminal
classes as The Counsellor" he was regarded by
them with a sort of admiring reverence. such
as in Dickcns's Great Expectations was &C
corded to Mr. ,jaggcrs. On one occasion, indeed,
gang Of dog-stcalers played practical Joke on
the Queens Counsel by abducting his iavorite
collie hut the victim had long memory, and the
Joker had good reason 70 trcmble when, years
afterward, he found himself in the dock on
serious charge, and Montagu Williams appearing
for the prosecution. Mr.. Williams might have
come quite naturally by his forensic powers, for
he belonged to family of lawyers But after
being educated at EtOn and oxford young Non
taqn had no leaning toward the bar. and began
his career by entering the army, first In the
militia and then in the regulars. He held a com
mission for some years, but the monotony OF gar
rson life soon dsillusoned him, and after various
adventures he sold out. While oficcr of the
Goth Foot an event occurred winch SHOWS once
more the length Of his memory and the patience
with which he awaited his turn. certain usurer
played rascally trick upon young Williams and
some Of his brother officers who found it necessary
TO raise little money on note. The document
having been signed, accepted and Endorsed, and
the check made out, the money-lcnder told the
Young men that there was more formality
TO observe: they must 60 10 a neighboring So
licitor's and put their names TO another docu-
ment-"a mere matter Of FORM they
sured. They did as they requested. without
reading the paper they signed and four days
later they were arrested for debt and discovered
that before receiving the money they had been
induced TO sign confession Of Judgment. which
made them liable 20 arrest from the moment their
pens left the paper There nothing for il
at the moment but TO pay the usurcr; bu, long
after the rascal had reason 10 regret having
played that trick upon MontaCu Williams, for the
latter sent him to prison in spite Of all the IN
flucnce he could muster
On leaving the army Williams tried his hand
at the stage having had striking successes
in private thcatricals. He appears 10 have had
real histrionic aptitude. but the most important
consequence Of his dramatic tendencies was the
! falling In with Miss Louise Kccley, youngest
daughter Of the celebrated Mr.. and Mrs. Robert
Kelley With this young lady he played, and
from friendship love developed They were mar
ried in a short time and it appears 10 have been
AT the instance Of his wife and her parents that
he abandoned the thought Of dramatic career
and TUNED 10 the law a means Of subsistence
Eeing a modest man, Mr. Williams omits all men
ton OF the powers which 50 soon lifted him into
prominence in his profession, and the reader must
draw his knowledge OF them from contemporary
gossip or from the Indirect and occasional side
/ lights thrown on the subject in this volume IL
is evident that almost from the first he developed
n very uncommon skill in dealing with criminal
cases As a cross examiner he alterward obtained
a high stardins, and his jury addresses were
models Of lucid, compact and logical statement.
/ He rarely employed fowcry rhetoric, his style
/ being restrained and simple; hut when, as some
/ times happened, lie did let himself ont, he pro-
duced surprising effects His reputation was soon
made and from that time untl thirty years
later. he was forced 10 retire from the bar by the
failure Of his voice, he was overw heIIned with
business. and represented either the prosecution
or the defence in nearly every case Of importance
throughout that period Fortunately for his ma
terial interests he refused TO accept a retainer in
the Tchborne case Sir Alexander Cockburn had
once warned him to keep clear of long trials,
which. he said. never paid and injured lawyer S
other business seriously. lie did have one expert
cree of lon; trial being engaged in the notorious
Belt case, when the question Of the sculptor
ghost was in issue ana he emerged from that
ease with loss of $500 in unpaid fees, his client
having cone into bankruptcy to avoid paying The
award of the court against him and the costs
In these volumes the stories of many grave
( crimes are indeed narrated. but nothing which
; could be regarded as a breach of confidence
Letwecn lawyer and client is to be found. In the
murder cases in which the author defended the
accused it is impossible to divine what iH him
self Thought of the defendants story. In the
Icfrov case he states all the evidence carefully.
and he builds up circumstantial case which
sccms invulncrable His own speech 10 the
Jury is n remarkable example Of adroiJ and
vigorous reasoning but when the reader has cN-
amined everything he knows 30 more than n
first what Mr. Williams believed to Lciroy's
guilt or innocence The uncertainties of evidence
in criminal cases are several times eAempliiicd
strknolv i'm these experiences. ore of the most
curious instances being IA murder case III which
il actually came about that two men were AZ the
same time under condemnation for the same crime
although each was convicted Of having perpc-
trated il single handed The most plausible theory
here seems 70 be that one Of the men-tneS