Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-10-28
A TRAMP CLIENTS FEE.

NAuADIe L WouIu IKE 10 near or IL, toT
two gallons of this particular barrel
brought its owner over $500, 900 gal
Ion. There is a story connected with
that whiskey that is worth telling, and
worth placing on the record, too.
"Some years before the war a young
man named Henry NJ. Sherwood
was admitted to the bar of steuben
county. He was bright young fel-
low, and belonged In the town of
Woodruff. Soon after he was admit
ted to the bar, and before he had had
his first client, a tramp was arrested
and put into Jail at Corning. He had
been guilty of some serious breach of
the peace, and his general appearance
was that of q genuine tough. He tried
TO engage a lawyer to defend him when
his case came up for a hearing, bat as
he had no money no one cared to take
his case in hand. At last he inquired
whether there wasn't some young law
yer In the place who hadn't had much
of an opportunity to distinguish him
self as yet, and who would likely be
willing to undertake the management
of the prisoners case for the chance of
getting some glory out of it. He was
told that young Hank Sherwood might
consent to appear under these con-
ditions, and the stranger sent for the
briefess lawyer. Sherwood went to
the Jail and saw the prisoner.
ait looks as if l was in pretty bad
scrape,' said the tramp to Hank, 'but L
believe that a lawyer can get me
through all right. Now, I'm from
Kentucky, and l haven't got a cent.
I'm going back to Kentucky if l get
out of this scrape, but I'll have to beg
or beat my way till 1 get there. Ny
father Is big distiller, but I've been a
trifle wild, and he and l are not on the
best Of terms. he wouldn't send me
q cent even if l should send word TO
him Of the fix am in here. But I'll
tell you what I'll do. If you will take
charge of my case and work it for all
II is worth, and get me clear, I'll sneak
out Of the old mans stock when 1 get
home barrel of the best old Kentucky
whiskey there is in the Bourbon coun-
try, and have it shipped to you. can
do it easy. What do you say?"
"Young Sherwood didn't take bit
of stock in the old mans story, but he
made up his mind to see what he could
do in the management of the case, just
to begin getting his hand in, and he
accepted the tramp as his client.
don't remember the details of the
case, but Hank succeeded in clearing
the tramp, and the latter went away,
feeling good. Time passed along, and
Sherwood had forgotten all about his
tramp client and the promised fee.
when one day the station agent at Ad-
olson, where the young lawyer lived,
met him and said:
"'Say, Hank, there's barrel in the
freight house for you. It's been there
q day or two, and came from Ken
lucky. More than that, its markings
declsSe that it contains fine old Ken
lucky bourbon"
"The tramp hau paid his lawyers
fee, sure enough. Sherwood had the
barrel taken home and placed i'll his
cellar, BE wasn't much of a tamperer
with whiskey, aud the barrel lay in the
cellar FIVE years without being dis
turbed. The late Constant Cook was
then Judge of Sseuben county. He
was holding court at Corning one
term, and, as was the custom in those
days, a number of lawyers and others
gathered in the Judges room at the
hotel in the evening and passed ar
hour or so in q social game of euchre.
The Judge enjoyed an occasional glass
of good whiskey, too. On the occa-
sion speak of, Hank Sherwood was
one of the Judges euchro party. The
Judge was very bitter in his denunci-
stion of the whiskey they sold in Corn
ing, and said he would be grateful for
glass of whiskey that was fit to
drink. That reminded Sherwood of
his barrel of old Kentucky bourbon
that had been lying so long in his Gel
lar. He told Judge Cook that he had
some whiskey at home that he believed
was good, and, that he would fetch
some down next day. He had his
barrel tapped that night, and filling Q
two-gsllon jug from it brought 1t TO
Corning and presented it to Judge
Cook. The Judge tasted the whiskey,
aud in all his experience he had never
met with its equal.
Young man, said he to Sher-
wood, q won't forget you for fetch
ing me this rare stuff. If ever I see g
Glance 10 give YOU lift III 10 it,
"T1me passed. Sherwood skinned
along after the manner of the average
country lawyer. The war broke out.
Judge Cook was one of the solid men
of western New York. lie, in COM
pany With the lsts John Arnot, J.
:. t. Strsnahan Of Buffalo, Charles
Cook of Havana, and John ii. Chedell
of Auburn. had b;I.lt The New York
and Erie Railroad from P.nghamton