Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-04-18
TWO LAWYERS TALK.
a PROMINENT CRIMINAL LAW
YER TELLS HOW HE
Wins His Cases-Another Lawyer Says that
Must and Dust Hangs Around the
Profession and It's Precedeuts.

To criminal lawyer the most profitable
study, and one that will aid him more in
impressing jury If brought 10 bear in the
right manner, is the study OF man. a
knowledge of his sympathies, his incAina-
tons. and if possible his whole mental
equipment.'
These words were spoken by prominent
criminal lawyer who has every reason TO
feel proud OF his career in the criminal
practice in this state. Out of 80 murder
cases he has lost four. All OF this number
have light sentences when compared with
the enorIn!ty OF their crimes.
In selecting jury" said he. = watch
pectire iuryman. 4 lawyer Of experience
can generally tell when man wants 10 sit
on jury. His actions and facial mann
festatioas are different from those of an
embarrassed man. Sometimes he attempts
TO assume q don't-care-whether-yo QUIT t:e-
me-or-not bearing, which, when attempted
by countryman CT one who hasn't the
always failure, and II Is this
Unnatural bearing that, for NE
d!squalities him as juryman.
Sometimes his JUNCTION is expressed in
the manner Re twirlS his fingers, turns in
his chair or looks at the ceiling, and often l
have seen him take handkerchief and tie
il around his leg. When he does that my
LLI1SLLOiI ID uDL- W lGlAC ALL ~ L4aN
know he wants TO get on that jury.
Sometimes he VIII want TO favor the de-
PENDANT, but you can't afford to take the
risk"
My young friend. :" said the older attor-
ney, addressing himself - young lawyer
who was participating in the conversation,
YOU make il q point to get acquainted with
the element from which the most of the
juryInen are selected Go out into the
country, drink buttermilk, eat greens and
bacon with The farmers, simulate an inter
est in their daily undertakings, meet them
with hearty grasp of the hand and Cod
speed them on their journey.
Il will never take man on a jury whom
| know to be the associate Of another an
tagonistic 10 my client, or who has eX-
pressed himself bitterly against the crime
which my client is indicted for In case
2 few days ago my opponent told NE few
minutes before the case opened, that I had
made q mistake in selecting a certain
square jawed, determined faced country
man. for said he. no power on earth
can move him when he goes one way
Il told my opponent that when / got
through with him he would never be
moved either.
My observance of this mans character
revealed to me another trait which l in
tended TO play upon to win him TO my
side Of the case. and when won lie would
hang that jury until hades concealed"
When the attorney who had thus been
giving away some OF the secrets of his sue
cess left the crowd the reporter accom-
panied him. knowing that ne had prose
cuted and had convicted the defendant in
the most famous murder case in this see
ton the reporter asked him how he con-
Quoted a case when he was the prosecutor.
Il always make the broad plea OF the pro-
lection to society and try to bring my
b. 81 frh al
law that | claim IS violated, and the crime,
which. if left TO go UNPUBLISHED, affects the
security Of their homes, their children and
themselves. Law is a beautiful thing when
you treat it III manner becoming its dig
nifty, and then if you eau make the 1uryman
think that the law is an expression OF the
high sense of honor and justice inherent in
mankind, of which he himself is repre-
sentative you have fiattered him into be-
lief that the foundation rock OF the govern
ment rests upon his decision.
About the easiest victory l ever had
was only few days ago in an adjoining
county. The man whom my client had shot
died two days after he had received the
wound. When the physician who had at
tended the deceased took the stand l con-
fronted him with the prescriptions that he
had written. l asked him first what the
man died OF! He said that the man died
from the shock of the wound. l introduced
the prescription, asked if he had written it?
Said he had. He had given him digitalis
nitro-glycerine and bella donna, but had
written the two latter in other medical
names. Iproduced the medical dispensary on
the doctor, which he admitted was authority
upon the subject, and showed the jury that
he had given him enough poisons 10 Kill
three ordinary men. You know that nitro
glycerine is an explosive, and asked the
doctor if taken in chemical com bination
with the other two, he wasn't afraid to
shake hands with him for fear his patient
would blow up on him. =
Attorney Hyde Jennings would ike to