The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-11-14
RELlEvEp lN FAIR PLAY.
One Lawyer Sustained la the Forenoon, tn
Other In the Afternoon

One Lawyer Sustained la the Forenoon, tho
other In the Afternoon
81 was new in the business and as
ambitious as Caesar ] would tackle
anything, and like most lawyers in the
early stages, had no trouble in con-
vincing myself that my client was right
and the other fellow n rascal. An old
granger in the city in which / first
swung my shingle to the breeze was al
ways in trouble with his neighbors,
and was rich mark for lawyers He
gathered in some cattle that had broken
into the highway from the field of a far
mer near by. stabbed them, and refused
to give them mp unless paid an exorbi-
tant price for dlmages that were never
committed a writ of replevin was is
sued. took the case for the owner OF
the cattle, and early one morning drove
out to the Office of an old German
squire, or justice of the peace. His
| temple of justice was an old rattletrap
of a building with no ceiling but
stringers across where the clapboards
terminated and the peaked roof began.
The occupants of these stringers kept
all below busily lodging tobacco juice.
| The jury was made up of a lot of old
| soil-tillers, whose faces were as sphinx
like as that of professional gambler.
His honor occupied very uncertain
chair that had earned an honorable re-
tirement, and kept his owl-like wisdom
in activity by constantly whiting on a
hardwood broomstick. Pitted against
me were two old lawyers and it was
their pleasure to constantly utilize my
youthfulness in impairing my standing
with the jury. | was full of fight, but
what almost drove me from the shanty
was the fact that the squire ruled dead
against me every time. l argued
pleaded, read authorities, kicked and
upbraided, but the whiting represent
ative of the blind goddess never turned
hair He would simply say: Don't get
excited, young man. vos der shudge
Yust go ahead mid der case. Shustice
is shustice, und don't you forgedt it.
"The two old attorneys were not slow
to catch on, and they took the widest
liberties disregarding everything and
chuckling at every objection made.
was on the verge of insanity, and my
client looked like thunder cloud ram
pant. Dinner time came and the squire
had spread for jurors, lawyers, and
litigants. My opponents were in high
feather, while my food nearly choked
me.
after eating handed the squire q
cigar, and we walked out into the or
chard, where l upbraided him for the
course he had pursued.
"'Young man. he said, 'vot is del
reason nit you? l know vot vos law
and yustice, and equity. Gif efery mar
der same chance In der forenoon
let dose two old lawyers have der vhay
Now it vos your durn. Go in. 1 pc
lieve in fair blay. l don't gare how
much dose fellers object, it's youl
durn.'
Ibid go in? 1 claimed everything
and conceded nothing. / rode rough
shod over the rules of testimony and
the two old lawyers. l had them wild
paving the air and frothing at the
mouth. The squire was deaf to theil
appeals and blind to their agony. :.
gif you half a day apiece, was his sole
justification. won in walk. Tho
other side wanted to appeal, but then
client was so mad that two old-timer!
should be so ANONYMOUSLY beaten by {
young lawyer that he settled then anc
there, hired me by the year, and gave
me my first good start Detroit Free
Press.