Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-02-05
ONE OF LlNcoLNs EARLY CASES.
The Great Man Whitfield a Little Wind
mill to Convince the Jury.

The Great Man Whitfield a Little Wind
mill to Convince the Jury.
In the year lS4S there wa a memo.
rable lawsuit in Chicago between Par
ker and Hoyt over the infringement of
apatent right of a water wheel. Adams,
Butterield and others were attorneys
for the plaintiff. and Abraham Lincoln
for the defendant. During the progress
Of the suit John Brink, Esq, now of
Crystal Lake, Ills, CHANGED TO be in
the city, and the following is his ac-
count Of il;
The trial lasted thirteen days and ex-
cited an unusual amount of interest
When Mr.. Brink reached the city he
found every one talking about the suit
and the great supreme court lawyer,
Abraham Lincoln. Judge Drummond,
of the United States district court. pre-
sided at the trial. He sustained Lin
coin in all of his propositions and in all
of his objections to the positions taken
by the opposing counsel.
In the course of the trial a fiume was
made and water applied TO the wheels
for the purpose of demonstrating TO the
jurors the exact facts in the case. In
dian meal was thrown into the water to
show the jury more clearly the effect Of
the water on the wheels. Soon after
this experiment had been made Lawyer
Adams said TO Mr.. Brink. Don't you
think we have the best Of the casef'
Mr.. Brink replied: Il do not know that
l am a suitable judge. as / did not ar.
rive here until the suit had been in
progress two or three days. But this
man Lincoln seems TO hold you five fell
lows pretty snug"
Then Adams said. Il would rather
fight every lawyer in the state of ILL
nois than Abe lincoln. because he is a
natural a natural lawyer and nat
ural mechanic-in fact. "A natural any
thing-and he knows more about that
water wheel than the man who madeit
and ! don't know anything about it,"
While the attorneys for the plaintiR
were making their pleas Lincoln SAT-
there. and although listening attentive
ly, whitfield ont a pine stick about half
an inch square and a foot long. From
that he cut of two pieces about three
inches in length. and with these two
pieces he made the wings Of a wind
mill lie fastened them together by
running "A pin through the center of the
two wings end that pin into the end Of
the other and longer stick. After hav-
ing put il together he blew upon il.
and when it worked 70 his satisfaction
lie took it apart and placed it in his
pocket.
There were eighty-four witnesses on
the two sides. ami Mr.. Brink thinks
that Lincoln took no notes. but trusted
wholly 10 rheInory.
He requested the witnesses to be
present during his plea. and said if he
made any mistakes in regard TO their
testimony he wished them to correct
him. While presenting his side Of the
case he took out the above mentioned
windmill from his pocket and putting
it together blew upon it and explained
it 90 the jury lie assured them that
If any infringement had been made
Parker had infringed upon the old
time windmill, and that Hoyt had q %
infringed upon Parker. Adams was to
make the closing plea, and in Lincoln's
speech he anticipated what Adams
would say. and by this means weakened
the force Of his plea Lincoln won his
case, and the jury were out only a little
over W hours. Chicago Tribune.