The herald., 1895-12-22
LAWYERS STORIES

|
struggling with his legal career. ~ had
gone home and was thinking of going to
bed, when messenger boy brought me an
urgent call to come to one of the down
town hotels. hastened to obey the SUM
mons, of course, and on my way down
thought up all my scanty information
about wills and documentary devises and
the like, making no doubt some poor soul
was struggling with death.
Judge of my surprise when the friendly
clerk who had sent me the message intro
| duced me to a tall, dignifled man standing
| near the counter.
"'This is my friend, the lawyer he
said. MIR. Lawyer, Judge Blank of Blank
| tom
"'Are you lawyer?' he asked in a
high-ptched, tremulous voice, that could
not fail to recognize as that of man far
gone in liquor.
al am answered modestly.
"'Do you know so-and-so and so-and-
SOP said he, running over the names OF
several well-known members of the Chica-
go bar.
II satisfied him that knew at least one
OF these gentlemen, and he went on.
"What, young man, is law?'
81 answered him according to Black
stone. and answered q great many more
questions hadn't thought of since l was
admitted. AT last the examination ended,
! an; he said:
"'You must excuse an old man, my son,
a very sick and feeble old man, as you
must see. have every confidence in my
own profession-a noble one, sir. I am q
judge on the circuit in neighboring state
and am ill and far from home. You have
satisfied me that you are q lawyer and
are familiar with some well-known men in
this city. Tell me then as matter OF
professional advice, to what doctor shall
20 to be healed of my disease?'
II hadn't expected this, any more than
expected any other portion of the ex-
perience; but | knew the hotel physician
was n man of skill and 1 was able to rec
ommend him cordially.
"Judge Blank thanked me and went
forthwith to the doctors room. drew up
! bill and gave it to my friend the clerk.
"A day or two afterwards l went in and
! took the $40 fee l had cl erg"d for my
| professional advice cha IN the
good physician whom had r e.. ed
| the day after.
"By the way, DOCTOR said I, may ask
what The matter was with Judge Blank the
other night and what your fee WASP
"'Certainly,' said he, 'and thank 70 for
sending him to me. He had incipent de-
lirum tremens. l toned him up with one
fitch grain doses OF strychnine and sent
him horne. made my usual charge-$9."
"One of the weiTdest experiences haze
the young lawyer to a number of hin
brother practitioners. ''came to me last
week in miserable little divorce case.
II was sitting in my office when a pair of
Germans came in with "a card from law
firm that's good deal farther along the
road han / am-far enough not to take
divorces, at any rate. | read the card,
looked them over, and recognized q former
coachman of friend of mine who had
married his wife fifteen minutes before
could get over to the county Jail to assure
him his master would bail him out.
"sWhat can do for your asked in my
best manuer.
"'Veli,' said the man, we want divorce
at isn't necessary to go into the history
of their conjugal relations as they told It
jointly. An az seemed to be the salient
feature of it. When the mood seized them,
whoever laid hands on that useful but
murderous implerr emit used to run the
other out into the street and chase him or
her, as he case might be, far into the day
or night. just it happened.
at was evident that everything like hap
piness was out of the question, and it was
only a matter of time when murder would
be done. So, though wholly disapprove
of anything like collision in divorce, de-
termired to take the case.
"'Your wife might better bring suit,'
said after listening to mass OF facts that
would have procured forty separations.
She's woman, you know
1.-The man rose anXiously and bent over
me.
"'Haf done genug to hat her eedt idt?'
he inquired.
"CerlanIy,' said I.
"'Because, auf l hafnt,' ne went on, i
will hit her vonce now
zone night Just as was closing my desk
and going home with my partner" said
iolly attorney, "an excited woman blum
dered into the Office and exclaimed:
"'Is there lawyer here?'
ayes, madam replied my partner,
pointing courteously to me.
"'Has anybody any right to throw water
on me?' she asked, turning to me.
"'No, madam l answered. Not as
matter of law
"'Well, Pm all wet she went on. Feel
my dress
| "She was wet.
| "sI want him arrested she proceeded.
"'I'm not in that kind of business, ms
DAM said |, I'm sorry to say.
''That's just the way | thought it would
be out west here,' said the dampened
woman. Get me out here and throw water
on me-
"'Well,' / replied, somewhat piqued.
'I'll do what can. I'll take you to a con.
stable who is as honest as constable
can be, and he will attend to the warrant
| for you.'
"She assented and we started out. !
made TO doubt Sno was ttlo VictIH VI "a
accident, perhaps through the inadvertence
of some neighboring saloonkeeper.
"But my companion, with set purpose.
| took me over to the retail district ana
halted me before one of the most extern
sive establishments in Chicago.
| "'There,' said she, look at thatP
81 looked and saw pool of water under
| a big show window, which was the source
of rivulet that was still flowing into the
| gutter.
IL hesitated for q moment, because the
| head of the firm was friend of my faith
| er's, but went in and saw the proprietor
my client stalking behind me.
'She stated her case. 1t appeared
that she was looking in the window when
| a man washing windows on the floor above
| lost his balance sufficiently to give niin MS
choice between falling himself or letting
| his bucket of water go-and the water
went. ~
! merchant.
".My clients hat is ruined, assyou see,
l answered, and her gown will have 70 Do
cleaned. That is $40. My fee is $!O.'
"'Ill pay you 500 said the proprietor 70
the moist woman, decisively, II you WONT
| give YOUR lawyer any of it.
"'No you WON'T she snapped oAoA
aSisn't $40 a great deal to charge fo5
walking over from your officer he asked
| me. .;eT
"sSir,' said in my best manner, am
forced to argue the question s'iaii no
| OBLIGED to charge more