Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-05

eminent bar Of that day
was Charles 0Conor. Mr. O'Conor studied
law with an old practitioner BY the name Of
Fay, iaboriousiy fought the battle OF legal sue
cess under great adversely of circumstances
and finally. by the clearness and strength of
his intellect and the breadth and depth Of his
| learning in law and letters. triumphed
over every obstacle, won his way to fame
| aud fortune and, with the modesty Of might
conscious Of its right took his acknowledged
position at the head Of the bar Of his state, the
legitimate successor in legal attachments Of the
astute, erudite and subtle Nicholas Hill Of AL
bany. Mr.. OConor was. besides, the honored
chief Of that talented branch of the New York
bar known rs ish-American and Of which the
Emmets. the Grahams, the Bradys. McKeon,
paiy, OGorman, together with group Of
other notable legal lights, have been such dis
| tinguished ornaments. Mr.. O'Conor first came
into prominence before the community as
the counsel OF Mrs. Forrest in the famous di-
vorce suit, John Van Buren, appearing
for Edwin Forrest 1t was during the
pr ogress Of this celebrated case that the life
long feud between the player and the eminent
counsel was fomented TO fever heat. an enmity
which cost the great actor a very large part Of
his fortune in alimony Mr.. OConor after
ward acquired world wide fame as the counsel
OF the Jumel heirs in the well-known action,
| running through many years of demurrer and
appeal, brought by the collateral relatives of
Madame Jumel aaron Burr's aged relic0 in
the vain attempt to upset her last will made in
| favor of her adopted son and daughter, Mr.
| and Mrs Nelson Chase, and likewise by his con-
| nection. as legal adviser, in the proceedings
| against William NJ. Tweed. Mr.. O'Conor. in his
prime. was a tall, slim, graceful, haired
| man. whose cold, deep. steely, imperious eyes,
yet Of the purest blue, shaven lips and fore
face and noble brow could never be forgotten
by any auditor who had ever been privileged
with the opportunity Of listening to his calm
carefully weighed and measured and ever fluent
and classical speech. Mr.. O'Conor represented
Col. Burr in the separation proceedings of his
|second wife against him, and once described
his whilom client as "a snuffy, little Frenchi-
fed man Of seventy or SO, but very sharp"
Charles O'Conor has a name in the state of
New York and throughout the United States, as
well as in England, which it has been vouch-
safed to very few jurists OF our century or
country to earn.
''aEoRaE WOOD"
In 1850 George Wood ranked at the front
among the profound and eminent lawyers Of
New York, a hale. hearty, white haired, forid,
smoothly shorn old gentleman, slow and
ponderous OF manner but easy enough Of
speech and as set Of ideas as ever exact Of ex-
preston. 1t was Of him that the story was
told in those days that Daniel Webster seeing
him for the first time. his adversary In an inn
portant case, as Mr.. Wood composedly sat in
court with his eyes shut asked Of his junior
associate, Who is that sieepy-looking person
yonder?" and that the answer was. THAT, Mr..
Webster, Is George Wood Of New York, and it
will be best for Us, perhaps, if you don't wake
him up"
When the present writer was law student
in Daniel Lords Office in the Merchants Ex-
change the murder of DR.. Burdell, q Bond
street dentist. took place, Mrs. Cunningham
and her daughters being charged with com.
plicity in the crime, together with John j.
Eckel (whose counsel was John Graham) and
young Snodgrass (for whom Daniel Lord had
been retained). Mr.. Wood was an old friend
OF Mr.. Lords and was quite in the habit of
dropping in at his Office of an afternoon to
have a social chat On one occasion the SUBJ
ject OF converse was the implication OF the
Cunningham household in the homicide of
Burdell, and Mr.. Lord took the ground of the
entire innocence Of the whole family, while
Mr.. Wood held a directly opposite view of the
matter. The argument grew hot and lively
when, with the wise and weighty manner Of the
Lycurgus which be was, Mr.. Wood turned to-
ward the two eagerly listening students and
said to them: Young gentlemen, there is
saying Of Curren's which ! am going to give
you and which want you to write down and
remember: There is in man a bold and adj
venturous credulity which disdains asserting
70 common truths, but delights in catching at
the improbability OF circumstances as its best
ground OF faith. The citation was most apt,
and by one at least Of those embryo limbs Of
the Law has never been forgotten.
JAMES ". GERARD.
James ". Gerard was . very noteworthy per-
sonage Of bis day in New York. Eloquent, q
logician, humorist, practical Joker, many
were the good things told OF him and by him.
Like Curran, he was regarded ss physically the
ugliest man at the bar. gentleman of the
old school, besrdless, bewigged. black broad
clothed, OF infinite wit. punster, yet withal
with as kindly and humane a soul as ever ami
mated mortal body. . thorough lawyer, Mr.. &c.
I'd a hos ia and hna of Yria A,,,a H.
had enemies, too, created by his scathing releut-
less sarcasm and vitheriuK invective during de.
bates and arguments in court. In his summing
up he usually made himself most effective and
attractive With Jury. A very funny incident
will be pardoned here IL tribe coarse in ex-
precision. Mr.. Gerard was employed by q poor
widow to prosecute the Sun newspaper for q
libel upon her reputation. The case had no
merits, and the sagacious counsellors main or
only chance Of success lay in the direction Of
humor. The newspaper in question had re-
Gently passed into the hands Of the sons Of the
former proprietor, Mr.. Beach. In the course
Of his winding up ~ the jury Mr.. Gerard al
luded somewhat after the following fashion
to the derelict defendants: "And who, gentle
men, are the unprincipled parties, the ungal-
liant, unchivalrous, unscrupulous, undesirable
members OF the community. who have grossly
maiigned and perpetrated this vile and venom
Ous outrage against my poor client a thor
and real lady by rights-who but these in
sufYerable sons Of Beachs, Rentlemen?' He
gained his cause, mulcting the defendants in
| heavy damages, amid the irrepressible laughter
Of Judge, jury aud spectators. John McKeon
used to tell . lAughable story Of Mr. Gerard to
this effect: 1.-THE latter was retained by rich
old fellow 10 defend him in q certain breach Of
promise case. On the day Of the trial, promptly
at the hour Of 10, the defendant came into
court, TO the horror Of his counsel, wearing Q
49,. nd M nil ~ nd linn r,vl. "a
hat and gloves. a. spruce and neat indeed az
any young dandy. Mr.. Gerard ran up to him
| in Q trice, hauled him BY the collar out Of the
court room, and whispered: For heavens
sake. are you msd2 Go homo ct once, put
ON the worst coat you have, soil
your face. muss your hair, tear
your shirt and look like thu devil, il you OK
pset me TO get this case for you" The man
did - he was directed, and in the course OF An
hour returned in . most deplorable plight, for
casehing his cue with imperfect precision from
the words Of his counsel, he had not only ar
rAyed his person In rags and tatters and black
snsd his face with SCOT but literally made him.
self a. drunk - David's SOW in the bargain,
and oams rseling into court and chair with
yinous precipitation. Mr.. Gerard 81 once
closed his cause, saying, And how, gentlemen
Of the Jury. can you expect such . poor. miser-
able, degraded wretch - you have before you
to pay the sum demanded, or, In fact, any sum
ct ell 10 % elegant and evidently wsll-od Q
being ~ the lady in this cass2 Look at that
hnnaa wreck and say II you have the creduiity
| and barbarity TO believe the charge brought
| against him" 4 verdict was instantly given
4.