The Republican., 1891-11-13
BELIEVED IN FAIR PLAY.


"
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 rascal. An old
granger in the city in which | first
swung my shingle to the breeze was al
ways in trouble with his neigh bors,
and was a rich mark for lawyers. lie
gathered in some cattle that had broken
into the highway from the field of far
mer near by, tabled them, and refused
to give them up unless paid an exOrbi-
tant price for damages that were never
committed. A writ of ret-evin vas is
sued. | took the case for the owner OF
the cattle, and early SSae 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 lot of old
soil-tillers, whose faces were as sphinx
like as that of professional gambler.
His honor occupied very uncertain
chair shat had earned an honorable re-
tirement, and kept his owl-like wisdom
in activity by constantly whiting on d
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. | argued,
pleaded, read authorities, kicked, and
upbraided but the whiting represent
ative of the blind goddess never turned
a hair. He would simply say: Don't get
excited. young man. vos der shudge.
Iust 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, disre%arding everything and
chucllling at every objection | made.
was on the verge of insanity, and my
client looked like a thsnder 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 a
cigar, and we walked out into the or
chard, where | upbraided him for the
course he had pursued
"'Young man. he said, 'vot is der
reason nit you? | know vot vos law
and yustice, and equity Gif efery man
der same chance. In der forenoon |
let dose two old lawyers have der vhay.
Now it vos your durn. Go in. l pc
lieve in fair blay. | don't gare how
much dose fellers object, it's your
durn.'
Did go in? claimed everything
and conceded nothing. | rode rough
shod over the rules of testimony and
the two old lawyers. had them wild,
paving the air and frothing at the
mouth. The squire was deaf to their
appeals and blind to their agony. 4
gif you half day apiece, was his sole
justification. ! won in d walk. The
other side wanted to appeal, but their
client was SO mad that two old-timers
should be so ignominiously beaten by a
young lawyer that he settled then and
there, hired me by the year, and gave
me my first good start. ."-Detroit Free
DrnSc