The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-03-06
LAWYERS EMERGENCIES.
Some Instances When They Have
to Be Quicz-Witted-


Although the processes Of law are
proyerbially slow, there are many occa-
sions when lawyers must act with
promptness where a lack of promptitude
or knowledge of the law may result dis
estrously to the interests OF their
clients This is notably the cslse IN the
drawing of Wills 1t often happens that
a lawyer is reused out OF bed late 1T
night 70 70 70 the bedside OF = dying
person and perfect a viii, disposing Of
large amounts of property. To do this
with expedition, complying with all the
requisite form. while death is literally
waiting - the door, Is a task that re-
q11i-es e man Of cool head and self-pos-
session. Surrogates' courts bear tes.i-
mony 30 the frequency with which the
wishes Of testators have failed to be
carried out because Of the failure 70
comply with some almost tridinG detail
In one case the lawyer was 50 SLOW in
making out the paper that the teststor
died before the requisite formalities
were complied with In another case a
quick-witted lawyer, who saw that
there was not time to complete VIII il
a case where the property consisted OF
money in bank, adopted the expedisnt
Of making out checks for the heirs,
which were duly signed and acknowl-
edged, and the heirs got their money
the next day, without being obliged to
wait a year for executors
In commercial crises lawyers have 70
do s good deal OF quick work IL putting
business affairs in shape 70 meet an
emergency. The bankrupt generally
desires TO save parts of the wreck for
this or that creditor. or for relatives, or
for himself, and the papers must be
drawn In due form to elude the Wig
ilance Of the unfortunate creditors who
get left. Bankruptcy has become .
special branch of law, and there are
some lawyers who have become vsry
expert st IL, 50 that upon short notice
and with brief time in which 70 work
they can arrange the affairs of & bank
rupt firm 80 a. to dispose Of the assets
according TO the wishes OF their clients
There Is room and need for quick wit
in the actual trial of cases in court It
is one thing 10 prepare case with care
ful consideration of the facts and due
application Of the law to those facts
1t Is quite another thing TO be able to
handle q case in open court under the
spur OF competition with sharp oppos-
ing counsel or \ testy court In every
large law firm the work is divided like
that in a factory, and to each is as
signed q particular part of the case.
The one who tries it must be Il man of
rapid Judgment and resources. He must
be able to meet surprises, to discern
men, to divine hidden motives, to snap
1T the prejudices OF jurors or judges
and TO seize the advantages Of the mo
ment. There is no end of need for
quick wit in questions of identity. In
,sg.h g1r.s1
entirely upon identity, the defendant
had been fully identified The defend
ants counsel slyly got his client to
change his coat in court with another
man Of similar appearance, and within
a few minutes the witness was led
easily TO identity the wrong man.
quick-witted and daring Western
lawyer once saved guilty client from
sure conviction on a charge of poison
ing 1t vas proved that the poisoning
had been done by means of certain
cakes, Z portion OF which was produced
in court When the counsel for the
prisoner had finished his speech he said:
And these, gentlemen of the jury,
are some Of the alleged poisoned cakes
We declare to you, gentlemen of the
jury, that these are not poisoned cakes.
They are as harmless cakes as ever Were
made, and in order, gentlemen of the
jury, to show you that these cakes are
not poisoned, 1 win eat one of them
right here in your presence
And he did eat one. He took good
care, however, to leave the room at the
earliest opportunity and 10 make a bee
line for an adjoining room, where he
had an emetic in readiness and an anti
dote. But the jury never heard about
the emetic or the antidote until the law
yer's client had been acquitted.
On another occasion a witness had
been detailing with great minuteness
certain conversations which had oc-
Cured several years before. Again and
again the witness testified to names and
dates, and precise words, and it became
necessary for his cross-examiner to
break him up. This was done 10y very
simple device. While the witness was
glibly rafting OF his testimony the
cross-exaIainer handed him a law book
and said:
Read aloud paragraph from that
book
''What for?" inquired the witness
Il viii tell you after you have read
it, said the lawyer, and the witness ac-
cortlingly read aloud paragraph of
most uniuteresting matter about lands,
and hereditaments.
Then the lawyer went on and asked him
a few more questions about his memo
~. and the witness was positive that
his memory was very good. Suddenly |
the lawyer said:
BY the way, viii You please repeat |