Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-07
CHALLENGED JUDGE AND JURY.

Exssassdlnary Tsssscs q Fesssylvsais
lawyer to Enlivcn . Trial.
II don't believe in trying q case in .
dull, routine manner, sd that IL be-
comes . question whether the attorneys
OF the jurors will 60 to sleep first, T"
said 8. 8. Boye: Of Sunbury. author OF
"'Boyer's Criminal Digest" to . re-
porter. Mr.. Boyer was defending
George Kuhn IN the United States
courts against the charge Of imperson-
ating q United States officer. The case
proved 70 he one Of the hiost amusing
that has ever becn called. 1t was full
of funny incidents from the beginning
70 the end.
Attorney Boyer is a Pennsylvania
Dutchman and has enough of that &C.
cent to make his conversation very At
tractive. The first day Of the trial .
witness was called who, owing to some
chronic affection Of the throat. was not
able to speak in m ordinary tone. hut
had either to speak in n whisper or
shout his words. Attorney Boyer didn't
know this. 20 when the witness began
to shout his answers Boyer thought he
was doing it to he disrcspectful. He
became angry and shouted his questions
in q not very polite manner.
In his speech to the jury Boyer said
some very bitter things about the wit
ness. among which was. 'YOu saw how
much Of rowdy ne was by his actions
on the stand" He was quite taken
aback when United States District At
torncy Hall arose and explained the wit
ness affection. In addressing the jury
Attorney Boyer apOlogized for not being
able to present his case in IN eloquent
manner for his soldier client. for"
no said, las my client left part Of his
body on the battlefield, 20 left part OF
my voice ut the breakfast table" He
had me: with an accident TO his teeth.
Attorney Boyer then went on to say !:
"1n the great hook Of hooks it says
that it il better to leave 90 guilty per-
Sons GO ,lnpunishcd than to punish one
innocent mar" Attorney Hall in
closing answered this in n neat man.
ner by saying: when the attorney for
the defense quoted about % guilty per-
sons from the book Of books. at once
DItcuIlItu ksc uicdiit buc Nstu
now see my mistake. as that sentiment
Is not expressed there, for by his book
of hooks he must have meant Boyer's
Criminal Digest. This created q
great laugh in the court.
As Attorney Boyer closed his speech
hc did a most uncommon thing. He
turned to the jury and said: If there
is any point you don't understand about
this case you'd like me to explain, Just
nsk me the question. Ill have TO make
the same restriction to you rs did to
the supreme court, however. told the
judges they were Mt liberty to ask me
questions concerning the case I had
before them and not to lie afraid to do
20, Is they could not cmbarrass me, but
To nsk only one question at a time, rs
that was all could answer" This odd
practice created quite little sensation
IN the court. Attorney Boyer. after
abusing witness IN terrible manner.
turned and said, IF that witness wants
to sec me outside after the case is over,
Ill speak TO him." The case gave con-
slant amusement by the oddities that
crept IN. and Attorney Boyer's natural
manner cf addressing the jury seemed
to take. for his client was acquitted.
Pittsburg Dispatch.