St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-25
A CONTINGENT FEE.
[BY j. s. ~vANDIvER,l

oAN ~ ossk-S Sha
emigrated to Mexico. L addressed him a
letter asking why he should have gone
away so suddenly. when it hadn't got
too hot for ven me. This is his reply, |
and the only thing I wonder at is that
he didn't go further: .,ze
I'm the fall of the year 1880 | assumed
the relationship of creditor in the sum |
Eof 500 to Absal0m Truax. 1t Is not
necessary for the purposes of this COM |
Einnnication to state why Iassumed this
relationship. Perhaps it was because /
couldn't help it; perhaps it was
because | hoped he would sneak
away to some sequeStered spot
and drink himself to death. If
the latter was my motive. and you UNI
derstand 1 ain not denying anything. 1
was disappointed and disguised the |
next day to hear that he had invested
500 In a bucket shop and made $500. Still
conceding the same motive to m it
would take him just that much longer
to reach tue desired end. The next thing
1 heard of him was that he had ade
another investment in the same line of
business and made $1,000. This was
stlii more diScouraging. His system of
speculation, they said, was very orig
inal. He would spit on a chip, toss it
In the air, and if 1t came down dry side
up he was a bull; If it came down wet
ne was a bear. 1t may occur to you that
In any event he was an ass, but if you
VIII reflect a moment you will see tina t
that is the only kind of a sys-
tenn that ever wins. You have seen the
man that played faro with a system. l
have never seen it win but once. and
hen the player backed mis- system with
a slx-Shooter. This, however, is n di-
greSSion. TruaX made several fortunate
Speculatlons on the original capital
which L had furnished him, aud wound
up. as any II might expect from what
you have learned of him, in the state
legislature. l saw him the morning
after he was elected. and asked hiIH
what was his position OIL the free text
o o question. He promptly asked me
what there was in it, and l knew at
once that, whatever might be his other
shortcomings, he would make a success
full politician.
After a useful and profitable term in
the legislature he returned home. loaded
with hoDOrS and railroad passes, opened
a prIncely saloon and faro bank. and
set about the task of redeeming his REP.
utation. 1t was at this timethat L asked
him to return the amount of the loan l
had made him. He said he was settling
all his old accounts On the axlevy basis
at % mills on the dollar. He said.
however, that as 1 had waited so long
and patiently he would make it $3.50.
lie wouldn't do that for everybody, [
Immediately made my will and went to
see a lawyer. The lawyer said it was
the simplest case he had ever had.
He SAID he was almost tempted to
refuse the case; there was no
fun and no credit in fightiug@ a
case that would win itself. But
he reconsidered and agreed to take it.
He said all he would have to do would
be to sue on the note 1 held. get a Judg-
iment for the amount and go around and
get our little hundred. He spoke so
.cheerfully about it that he impaired
something of his spirit to me, and l felt
real good. Then l asked him what he
would charge me-. He said he wouldn't
charge an. old friend like me irregular
fee-he wouiti makeeit aYcontingentfee.
and take half there was in it for his
share. 1t seemed a little steep, but l
reflected that ! wouldn't get a cent out
of Truax unless | sued him. so l told
him to grind away. He said there
were some trifing costs that I
would have to advance. but that
these would be charged up
oUI r,0rII Ia, -, 4, ~ yxo4Ir - N, -I~- r1
got the Judgment. The papers were
served the next day, aud l paid the
costs of the notary. the clerk and the
sheriff. The sum was S11.76. and l
knew by the odd cent that the bill was
all right. There was an item OF SIS for
sundries that L was a little suspicious
or. because there were no odd cents,
but l let it pass for that time.
1t was more than a month before the
case was to be tried, but l had several
reminders that it was coming n First
l had to get some witnesses. paying
their fees IL advance. One of them
lived in the next block to the court
house. but l had to pay him for two
miles. l was conducting a profitable
business in the coal, wood and feed line,
and l began to neglect the Office more
or less. worrying about that lawsuit.
Once or twice l caught myself in the
very act of giving full weight. The
day OF the trial finally came. and my
lawyer called on me and told me that
the case was practically won already.
He, also touched me for five. 1t was a
great trial. Some of the lawyers said
they had never heard such elegant tes-
timony. l had had a little rehearsal
with my lawyer. and learned just what
it was necessary for me to prove, and of
course / proved it. That was what
[ was there for. Truax claimed
that he was drunk at the time
he signed the note, but 1 proved
by seven reliable witnesses that that
was the first day In seven years when
he had been perfectly sober. l was
going OH to prove that if anybody was
drunk that day it was me, and l could
have proved it, too, but the lawyer said
l better not strain myself. MY wit
nesses knew what they were there for,
and they swore that everything that
his witnesses had said was false,
and his witnesses paid a like COM
Dliment to my witnesses, and alto
gether it was a very edifying and i'm
proving spectacle. Then the lawyers
summed up. Truax's lawyer dealt first, |