The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1891-04-02
LAWYERS EMERGENCIES.
Some Instances When They Have
to Be Quick-Witted.

to Be Quick witted.
Although the processes Of law are
proverbially slow, there are many occa-
sions when lawyers must act with
promptness where lack of promptitude
Or knowledge of the law may result dis
astrously to the interests of their
Clients. This Is notably the case in the
drawing of Wills 1t often happens that
lawyer is-roused out of bed late at
night to go to the bedside OF dying
person and perfect will, disposing Of
large amounts of property. To do this
requisite forms while death is literally
? waiting at the door, is task that re-
quires a4man of cool head and self pos
session. Surrogates' courts bear testi-
mony 10 the frequency with which the
wishes of testators have failed to be
carried out because of the failure to
comply with some almost trifiing detail.
In one case the lawyer was SO slow in
making out the paper that the testator
died before the requisite formalities
were complied with. In another case a
quick-witted lawyer, who saw that
there was not time to complete will in
case where the property consisted Of
money in bank. adopted the expedient
Of making out checks for the heirs,
which were duly signed and acknowl-
57edged, and the heirs got their money
the next day, without being obliged to
wait year for executors.
In commercial crises lawyers have to
do good deal of quick work in putting
business affairs in shape to meet an
emergency The bankrupt generally
desires to save parts of the wreck for
this or that creditor, or for relatives, or
for himself, and the papers must be
= drawn in 4duc-form to, elude the Wig
lance of the unfortunate creditors who
get left. Bankruptcy has become a
special branch of law, and there are
some lawyers who have become very
expert at it, SO that upon short notice
andowith brief time in which to work
they can arrange the affairs of bank
rupt firm so as to dispose of the assets
according to the wishes of their clients.
There is room and need for quick wit
in the actual trial of cases in court. 1t
Is one thing to prepare case with care
full consideration of the facts and due
application of the law to those facts.
1t is quite another thing to be able to
handle a case in open court under the
spur of competition with sharp oppos-
ing counsel or testy court In every
large law firm the work is divided like
that in factory, and to each is as
signed a particular part of the case.
The one who tries it must be man of
rapi& Judgment and resources. He must
be Able to meet surprises, to discern
men, to divine hidden motives, to snap
at the prejudices of jurors or judges
and to seize the advantages of the mo-
ment. There is no end of need for
quick wit in questions of identity. In
Z AN eXtradition case, which depended
entirely upon identity, the defendant
had been fullysidentifed. The defend
ants counsel slyly got his client to
Change his coat in court with another
man Of similar appearance, and within
few minutes the witness was led
easily to identify the wrong man.
quick-witted and daring Western
- lawyer once saved a guilty client from
sure conviction on a charge of poison
ing 1t was proved that the. poisoning
had. been done by means of certain
cakes, portion of which was produced
IN court When the counsel for the
prisoner had finished his speech he said:
And these, gentlemen of the jury,
arr some of the alleged poisoned cakes.
We declare to you, gentlemen of the
Jury. that these are not poisoned cakes.
They are as harmless cakes as ever were
mace and in order, gentlemen of the
Jury, to show yon that these cakes are
not poisoned, | will eat one of them
rlghA here in your presence"
And he did eat one. He took good
care, however, to leave the room at the
earliest opportunity and to make a bee
me for an adjoining room, where he
mad an emctic in readiness and an anti
cote But the jury never heard about
the emetic or the antidoteS;until the law
yer client had been acquitted.
On another occasion witness had
oeen detailing with great minuteness
certain conversations which had oc-
CURED several years before. Again and
again the witness testified to names and
yates and precise words, and it became
necessary for his cross-examiner to
ofeak him-up, This was done by avery
snnple device. While the witness was
sholy rafting off his testimony the
crosse saminer handed him law book
and sail
Real aloud- n nara ,ranh from that
! book. 70
= Whit for?' inquired the witness.
- wiz tell you after you have read
~ Sald the lawyer, and the witness ac-
eofolngly read aloud paragraph of
most ur'interesting matter about lands,
appnrte nances, and hereditaments.
,hen the lawyer went on and asked him
'aiew more questions about his memo
" ana the witness was positive that
"ls memory was very good. Suddenly
'ne lawyer said:
ny the way, win you please repeat
ma, paragraph you Just read about
, ,aaas' \. appurtenanees, and heredita-
Why, of course could not do that =
replied the witness.
Ton must haven gussrmemory, ~.