The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1892-01-14
BELIEVED IN FAIR PLAY.
One Lawyer Sustained IN the Forenoon, TIN
Other In the Afternoon.

Other In the Afternoon.
II 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 1 first
swung my shingle to the breeze was al
ways in trouble with his neighbors,
and was a rich mark for lawyers. He
gathered in some cattle that had broken
into the highway from the field of far
mer near by, stabbed them, and refused
to give them up unless paid an exorbi-
tant price for damages that were never
committed. A writ of repleyin was is
sued. l took the case for the owner of
the cattle, and early one 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 a very uncertain
chair that had earned an honorable re-
tirement, and kept his owl-like wisdom
in activity by constantly whiting on
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.
| Yust 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, disregariing everything and
ehuck1ing at every objection l made.
was on the verge of insanity, and my
client looked like thunder cloud ram
pant. Dinner time came and the squire
had spread for jurors, lawyers, and
litigants. My opponents were in high
feather, while my fool nearly chohed
| me.
after eating 1 handed the squire g
cigar, and we walked out into the or
ehard, where 1 upbraided him for the
course he had pursued.
"'Young man. he said, 'vot is de-
reason nit you? know vot vos Law
and yustiee, and equity. Gif efery maj
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 you
durn.'
did l go in? I claimed everythin!
and conceded nothing. l rode rough
shod over the rules of testimony anc
the two old lawyers. had them wild
paving the air and frothing at tn
mouth The squire was deaf to thei
appeals and blind to their agony.
gif you half day apiece, was his sol
justification. / won in walk. Th
other side wanted to appeal, but thei
client was so mad that two old-timer
should be so ignominiously beaten by
young lawyer that he settled then an
there, hired me by the year, and CAV
me my first good start. Detroit Ere
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