Omaha daily bee., 1892-11-27
row THEY MADE THEIR START
Come Omaha Lawyers WHO Were not Al
wsys Sleek and Prosperous.
GEN. GOWNS HABITo WORKING FOR FUN
One of Charley Grcene's Speeches That
Failed oi Its Purpose Judge Thurston's
First Address and First Case whip
sawed by the supreme Court.


Generally his knowledge of men and things
Is quite limited and he thinks that the world
has long piDed for his efforts. He believes
that 1t is only necessary for him TO put his
ability upon the market and clients will
stumble over each other in their efforts to
reach his office. He generally, also, has
some great evil TO remedy, some egregious
wrongs to rieht. friend or acquaintance
has oeen deIrauded of his inheritance. or
neighpor has been injured by some act of
vandalism. A system which, to him, seems
misChievous, must be uprootcd, and the
condition OF mankind generally will oe
Rmeliorated by his entrance into his chosen
profession.
Some time ago a number of Young lawyers
md General Gown were seated at a dinner
table in popular cafe and all were discuss-
ing the pleasant ana unpleasant features OF
their calling. Some were deprccating the
ingrattude OF their clients, while others
were. finding consolation in tho graft
tude of theirs. "When I started in prac-
tice," said General Gown, II though had
but one mission on earth. believed sim
cerely that was put hero to right every OK
listing wrong and labored with that end in
view for time. Whether my client had
money or not, If considered that he had
been wronged. l labored with the same
energy in either l found out In time,
however, that in many Instances those for
whom l mad worked the hardest and who
With my efforts"
Tho great advocate stopped therc, but he
/ might have added that the lawyer who IS
! most respected by his clients is he who
renders first class services aud for them
collects n first class fee 1t is estimated that
not more than 60 per cent of those admitted
to the bar make the practice of law their
life work. Poverty disappoint and
dissatisfaction lead 40 per cent into other
fields, but it is often asserted by laymen that
this percentage is too small by one-half
The ordinary law student meets with many
difficulties In the two years during which he
must apply hmself in the office OF his pre-
ceptor.. His struggle for bed ana board is
generally no small one and he often longs for
the day when he will swing his sign to the
breeze and lay in wait for his first client
That time finally comes. He gets his first
patron, and after untiring preparations the
day of trial is 1T hand. He fails to see how
he can lose his cause. Many times, how
ever, he ascertans before the trial is ended
that his client In relating the circumstances
to him previously has distorted or concealed
the real facts. III his client has been truth
ful he may discover that in the application of
the law to the facts he and the court do
not agree and his case is lost. Only
lawyer can appreciate his feelings, for
they are experienced in no other walks OF
life. How some OF the distinguished mem
bers OF the Douglas county bar tried their
first cases and the embarrassments pending
are told below IN their own language.
MY first CLIENT" said Charles }. Greene,
hs his skin. He was charged before n
magistrate at Marengo. Ill, with criminal
assault upon white servant girl of that
city. AT that time was in the Office OF
Amos B Coon, one of the ablest and most
eccentric lawyers IN the state. He had a
memory which in the heat of argument
could recall any case he had ever
read or heard of. His retention
bf facts, dates, numbers and principles
was little short OF the miraculous. AT the
proper time in the trial of cause he would
call up the volume, page, title and tue Ian
guage OF any decision ho had ever studied
ard apply IL 10 the matter in hand. He ex-
planned his positions by illustrations, some
times not the most elegant, but always apt
and pointed. His language was not always
the most refined and his impetuoslty often
found vent in the utterance of an OATH I
had several days to prepare my case, and in
stead OF looking into tho facts as should
spent my energies In preparing my speech
TO my youthful mind speech was the thing
needed for tho occasion and was prepared
TO make 1t, facts or no facts. Ira
Curtis, Curtis, ., bright ,oa,N young fellow,
Coon was ono of the Interested spe cta ors
He was present to hear my speech. Curtis
fully realized tho embarrassment under
which l was aboring and did and said many
things which disconcerted me. Finally the
evidence was all in and the arguments
kwouid soon follow. Curtis was directed by
the court TO make his statement Of facts and
present his side of the case, but, TO my un-
utterable chagrln and disappointment, he
replied that he would waive his opening.
begged of him to say something that
might get a deeper inspiration, but he de-
clined with smile. Mr.. Coon, seeing my
agitation, poked Curtis under the ribs, say
ing at the same time: Speak. Say some
thing Give him chance D-n
h: faps ssys his n" seat When S6en'o sS' sS.
up my sails had no wind. A dead calm pre-
vailed in the cour: room. staggered through
few sentences and the examination closed
by the magistrate remandIug my client To
Jail to avail, trial.
81 was greatly mortified ana | determined
TO deliver that speech even il no one heard
IT. That evening otter darkness had set In |
stole over 10 the Office aud locked tho door
1 mounted The table ana dolived my speech
10 an imaginary justice. Isplit the arwith my
eoquence and the sound reached the street,
A passing constable heard me and stopped
TO listen. he knew my voice and start ed
after Mr., Coon. The two came over to the
building, heard my peroraton ana withdrew
70 their homes without my knowledge. They
Itold me all the next morning Months after
that Mn Coon had occasion TO refer to nv
Pspeech. llo had won a ccso and important
case before n jury, and his opposing counsel
named Lathrop. made much stronger and
laDler effort on the motion for new trial than
he did on tho trial itself The comparison
between Lathrop and myself was at once eyi
dent, aud he likened him TO one who mac
made his great speech after. his client had
gone 10 jail.
''My court practice" said General Gown
"began in 1868 in Omaha. My first client
was ono OF tho noted men of earth, O journal
ISL, an explorer and would be lawgyer
refer 10 Henry NJ. Stanley. Stanley was 1
reporter at that time on one of tho loca
papers. Little Mack was publishing a
weekly in Omaha and tho two journalists
were not on friendly terms MacDonouph
wrote screed in his sheet con
meeting SIanlcy's name with that OF
[Anpn Ward, then noted woman
OF tho town. Stanley, a very nervous
man, became deeply incensed at tho Dublica
tlon ana swore vengeance on tho writer
When the two men met the untcl Dated took
place, Mack being the recipient of q furious
druoning Stanley was arrested on a war
rant issued oy Charley Brown, then mayor
OF the cily, lie was defonced Dy myself on
the theory that ho was justified oy the sour
rilous attack The record was introduced In
evidence, and after perusiug IL the court dis
|chsrred my client The honor of scoring m,
hrst victory was all thero was in IL for my
fee Is still due mo from Stanlcy,n
81 suppose said John NJ Thurston uthn,
all distinguished lawyers won their frs,
leases Laying ASIDE the maiier OF distinc
tion am frank 10 say that | lost mine and
tell yeuit was candy, Tins great even
T.