Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1893-02-17
A Story of r'aniel Webster's About a Man
Named Barnaby.

Story of r'aniel Webster's About a Man
Named Barnaby.
One evening at a convivial party Daniel
Webster and other distinguished lawyers
We're PRESENT, and the conversation hap
pened to turn on the legal profession.
when was young practitioner" said
Mr.; Webster, there was but one man at
the New Hampshire bar of whom Nas
afraid, and that was old Barnaby. There
were but fe " men who dared to enter the
lists with him. On one occasion Barnaby
was employed to defend the title to piece
OF land bought by a little, mean, cunning
lawyer named Bruce. Bruce's case was
looked upon as good as lost when it was
ascertained that Barnaby was retained
against him.
The suit came on for trial, and Barnaby
found that Bruce had worked hard and
left no stone unturned to gain the victory
The testimony for the plaintiff was very
strong, and unless it could be impeached
the case of the defendant was lost. The
principal witness introduced by the plain
tiff wore red coat. ~ = r.
In summing up for the defense old Bar
naby commenced a furious attack on the
witness, pulling his testimony all to pieces
and appealing to the jury If man who
wore a red coat was, under any circum-
stances to be believed
" And who is this red coated Witness
exclaimed Barnaby, but descendant Of
our common enemy, who has striven to
take from us our liberty and would not
hesitate now to deprive any poor man of
his land by making any sort of a red coated
statementv
During this speech Bruce was walking
up and down the bar greatly excited and
convinced that his case was gone, knowing
as he did the prejudice Of the jury against
anything British. While, however, Bar
naby was gestieulating and leaning forward
to the jury in his eloquent appeal, his shirt
bosom opened slightly, and Bruce acciden-
tally discovered that Barnaby wore red
undershirt.
1Bruce's ,countenance frightened up.
Putting both hands in his coat pockets he
walked to the bar with great confidence, to
the establishment of his client and all
lockers on.
Just as Barnaby concluded Bruce wills.
pered in the ear of his client, I've got him;
your caseis safer and approaching the jury
he commenced his reply to the slaughtering
| argument of his adversary. Bruce gave q
regular history Of the ancestry Of his red
coated witness, proving his patriotism and
| devotion to the country and his character
for truth and veracity.
But what, gentlemen of the jury,
| broke forth Bruce in loud strain of elo-
quence, while his eye flashed fire, what are
| you to expect of a man who stands here to
defend cause based on no foundation Of
right or justice whatever; Nof man who
undertakes to destroy our testimony on the
ground that my witness wears q red coat,
when, gentlemen of the jury-wh hen when,
gentlemen Of the jury here Bruce made a
4 spring, and catching Barnaby by the bosom
of his shirt tore it open, displaying his red
flannel, when Mr.. Barnaby himself wears
q red flannel coat concealed under q blue
i ones' 49,
The effect was electrical Barnaby was
beaten ct his own game, and Bruce gained
tie case - ree1l Bag.