St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-03
JOSEPH II. tHoarn.

vent1on, IS one Of the1moSt interesting MEM
bers Of the New York bar Among general
barristers he holds the ranking position. He
is good in all departments of practice, good
before the courts in7coN dissections of the
law, good at examination and good before
jury. Entirely wantfngacih enthusiasm, he
still produces startling effects, principally by
the sk1lful use of a certain quality of intel
lectual sarcasm which he possesses in
marked degree. His famous parody of ''The
House That Jack Built, . in the suit of Arthur
Gilman, the architect, against Mrs. Paran
Stevens, we'll illustrates this dainty but dam
aging art. If it can be. described at all, it is
trick of flirting fine, singing sand into the
eyes of his victims. Society people have not
yet forgiven him that parody in which, turn
ing to Mrs. Stevens, he said in tone that
cannot be reproduced in types, s'This is the
maiden all forlorn."
Sometimes, when in a desperately wicked
humor, he tells this story at Senator Evart's
expense:- He was trying a case involving i'm
mense financial transactions, and felt unwill-
ing to leave his clients fate to his own unaided
Judgment. So he brought Mr.. Evarts into
court with him. The Senator never spoke
aloud at all, but his whispered suggestions
were invaluable. When the case was over
one of the young men attached to their Office
asked a juryman what he thought of Mr..
Evarts.
-'sWho's he?" asked the juror.
"Great heavensT' cried the young man,
"don't you know William NJ. Evarts?'
."Dunno's do, "hopelessly responded the
Juror.
n ont
s'There he is" he said, sstalking to Mr..
Beach" les
sob, him? Him with the long nose? Don't
think much O. him. The only thing he said
was 4 object and hanged if couldn't have
said that much."s -
Mr.. Choate is famous as cross-examiner.
His manner is invariably quiet. He rises
and advances to the railing as near the
witnesses as possible. His splendid physique
always makes an Impression. He has great
frame, large, intelligent face. He has brown
hair and Gght-brown eyes; his forehead is
broad, but not very high; he wears little
side whiskers:S When he gets to the railing
he spreads out his ample form over it and a
large part of the adjacent territory: Then he
puts his head forwarekas near the. witness as
he can get it and beginslth battle. He never
loses his temper and newer raises his voice!
He always let's the witness take: his own
course first, and it Isl several minutes be-
fore he asks a.: question: in which he is
really, interested If the, answer is unsatis-
factory he Immediately drops the subject,
let's the witness wander away for little
while and finally brings him gently back to
the same question. Again and again he will
IL o,1 o:v,
until the witness cannot stir and must
either answer the question or fatty re-
fuse it. The truth usually comes out either
way. al. ia.
Mr.. Choate used to be great after dinner
speaker, but lately has abandoned that
diyerting pastime. He was afraid of ac-
quiring the reputation of a wit. One of his
best speeches was at one of the New England
Society's dinners. He said he was tired of
this eternal chatter about the heroism of the
Pilgrim Fathers. It was high time the Pill
grim Mothers had show. True enough
the Pilgrim Fathers had to endure much that
was disagreeable but their burden was moth
ing to that borne by those unhappy mothers.
For they, in addition to the snow-bound
wilderness, the bloodthirsty Iniuns, the
cruel winter and the wasting fever-they had
to stand the Pilgrim Fathers also, COM
pared with which all other discomforts sank
into insignilcanee.
Mr.. Choate passes the summer in beauti-
full house that was erected for him in 1885, by
Sanford White, in the village of Stoekbridge,
in the famous Berkshire Hills in the west
ern part of Massachusetts. Stockbridge is
five miles south of Lenox.- There are fewer
people and less excitement there than in
Lenox, and for that reason he selected that
place in preference to the latter, SO as to get
away from people and not continue the winter
life all through the summer. Besides, he con-
siders Stoekbridge the prettiest village in
New England. He does not come to New
York for three months. As he modestly says:
''The courts are closed during the summer
months, and am no longer of any use in
our Office