Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-04-25

printer, TOO, as the lllutfdub lOufHcyHheu
were likely to be il the old days. But we
are trying to avoid the commonplace
A few weeks ago Senator Berry, OF
Arkansas, made a speech in the senate
chamber which attracted a good deal of
attention. OF all the letters in commenda-
ton of that speech received by the senator
none pleased him more than one from his
father in law. Thereby hangs q tale. Sen
ator Berry was native Of Mississippi, and
when a mere lad of IS or Loan ignorant
country boy without many advantages or
much hope in life-enlisted in the Confed-
crate army, partly because he hadn't any
thing else tn do In the battle of Cnrinth
ne iosu a reg, and when ne was well enough
to leave the hospital found an opportunity
to study law at Ozark, Ark, doing chores"
for his board while prosecuting his studies.
Afterward he moved to Carroll county and
became a sch 0ol teacher at the munificent
salary of SIP month; but out of this he
managed to save something, as he had a
special and very dear object in view, which
was nothing less than union in matrimony
with a fair young creature of Ozark. The
fair young creature was willing, but her
papa was not. He was not going to have
his daughter throw herself away on pen
niless schoolmaster. The following chap
ter the average reader will be able TO guess
without a hint from me. The future sen
ator closed his school, crossed the mount
aims and with the aid of a trusty friend
and ladder stole the girl from a second
story window and married her before the
stern parent could interfere.
Not long afterward the young school
master was elected to the legislature. He
made good record here, and was finally
elected speaker of the house of represent
atives. Stall the father of his wife refused
to forgive. "he wife of the future senator
and her children visited frequently at her
fathers homestead. but the future senator
himself waited and waited in vain for an
invitation thither. -Four or five years later
young Berry was elected circuit judge. but
still no forgiveness came from the relentless
old gentleman at Ozark. my son-in- law,
Judge Berry," he would say to his friends,
but for the Judge himself he had not a
word Nine years ago, after he had been
married some twelve or fifteen years, Mr..
Berry's friends nominated him for gov
eruor ~ Arkansas and elected him by =
mere triae Of 10000 majority. This was
more than the obstinate father-in-law
could endure. When he heard the result
of the election he sat down and wrote
letter to his son-in-law, the goyernor-elect,
In which he declared his daughter had
been a better judge of human nature than
himself, and that it would give him great
pleasure TO welcome the new governor at
his house. Since that day the old gentle
man aud the governor, now the senator,
have been the warmest kind OF friends.
The story which | have told hereinbefore
about Congressman Tillman reminds me OF
a conversaticr / had about two weeks ago
with Mr. T. G. Asay, Of Chicago, while sit
ting in Senator Farwelps committee room
at the Capitol Mr.. Assay was for many
years the leading criminal lawyer of Chi
cago, and hi7 fame extended all over the
west and southwest. He was one Of the
few NEE whom that great editor, William
+. Storey, the founder of The Chicago
Times, took to his heart, I'm the house of
representatives today said Mr.. Assay, Il
saw man whose face brought back to me
one of the most dramatic incidents of my
professional career. Years ago / was called
to a southwestern state TO defend young
man who had been charged with murder.
My client had done nothing but to run his
knife through the heart of an enemy, lit
orally cutting that organ in halves. There
was no doubt of the mans guilt, and was
at my wits end for an argument to make
before the jury. The guilty man was well
connected, was a graduate of Harvard col
lege, and these things were in his favor;
bnt he had killed man of his own sort,
and the friends of the victim were clamor-
ing for justice In his charge to the jury
the Judge ruled that but one verdict was
possible-murder in the first degree Man
slaughter, he said was out of the question.
expostulated with the judge and at the
close of court, before the jury had been sent
out, he asked me to come up to his house
that night and talk the matter over with
him | did 50, and we argued the legal
points involved till had succeeded in con.
yincing the Judge of his error.
In court next day he resumed his charge
to the jury, corrected MS former iustruc-
tion aud gave the chance to make an adj
dress on the changed phase of the case. If
| ever woraed hard for man | did fo"
that client OF mine With all the eloquence
and responsiveness / possessed begged
the gentlemen of the jury TO convict my
client of mauslGughter, though | felt down
in my heart there was but one thing they
could do, aud that was to send him to the
gallows for murder in the first degree.
When the jury retired | was willing to
wager money my man would hang. /
scarcely dared hope they would let him off
with mans'qughter. When the verdict
came in it was-what do you SUPPOSE
acquittai. Yes, my client walked out Of
court fires man. Meeting one of the jury
men afterwari, asked him how they had
arrived at such a conclusion, in view Of the
certain guilt Of the accused.
"'Well. he replied, you see how it is,
stranger. Our Jail is in such wretched
condition that there was some Of US op-
posed TO sentencing any gentleman to stay
there while he was waiting to he hanged
| This is "a tru. story concluded Mr.. Assay
though mary jokes with this remark Of
| the iurymau's for "a basis have been float
/ ing around the country"
"What became OF the client who escap,
SO easily, Mr.. A-ay.'
/ Il knew you would ask that question,
and / hardly know how 10 answer you. OF
course cannot tell on his name, but am
willing 70 saj that he is highly respected
man, occupy. = a distinguished position,
and think y0I know him very we'll He
/ has lAed ia Washington for a number OF
years
! So the ihri lty of this particular hero Of
I a congressional romance must remain a