Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1896-01-31

turning, he shuffled back into the court
room, gave the clerk an expressionless
glance, glided silently to his little desk,
and bowed low over the cuspidor.
Whereupon the clerk proceeded to
write in ponderous record book some
thing to the effect that the plaintiff
being thrice solemnly called came not,
neither came anyone for him." ETC., and
the Judge said: dismissed. Plaintiffs
costs. Call the next"
The defendants counsel passed out,
leaving only the unsatisfactory expla-
nation that Ezra had had enough and
had made UP his mind to quit That
was all, and the facts in the case of
Grassneck VS.. McTagg Ell al. were buried
in the oblivion of professional conf
dence" and privileged communica-
tions."
An unusual interest in the case had
been aroused by the incredible rumor
that old Ezra Grassneck had been
caught mapping, and had permitted
himself to be defrauded out Of $1,000;
still worse, had actually been fool
enough to sign his name to papers,
which latter act is considered the ex-
IRENE of folly in his neighborhood.
Accordingly on the morning set for
the trial the little railroad station was
deserted, the seats in Longs emporium
were cold and vacant, and fuckers ton
serial parlor was silent and empty.
Three-fourths of the male inhabitants
had "'lowed they'a go to court an hear
this ere case O. Grassneck's."
The parties thereto were all well
though, perhaps, not very favorably,
known to their neighbors.
Ear Grassneck loved gain--certain
notspeculative gain. At each protracted
experience meeting, with becoming
spirit of humanity, he would say:
"All thisworldly substance amt mine
but the Lords, an shall I waste and
squander what is the Lords, or, like the
unthrifty steward in the Scriptures
neglect to turn it to advantage for His
glory?"
His frequent repetition of this senti
mcnt suggests the true keynote of hi
character that his ruling passion wa'
not avarice, as his neighbors hat
thoughtlessly said, but an unfalterinl
fidelity to Divine trust, and that in thi
case it was only his commendable yea
in that behalf which had exposed hin
to the credit of an enemy and made hin
victim of what is termed "a robbery,
but what McTagg said was only "al
ordinary business transaction"
AS to the chief defendant, Morgan
NlcTagg, owing to curious popula
prejudice against him, it is hard to oh
tain an unbiased account. He hat
hcen resident of the county seat blu
few years, having come from Chica
70, where he had met with disaster il
small manufacturing business.
Although not generally credited, i
il nevertheless true that McTagg, tn
manufacturer, was the very antithesi
OF McTagg, the broker and promoter
Before his failure he possessed con
fidence in his fellow man that was sim
ply idyllic.
Bacon, in the ripeness of his expert
ence, has said: The ways to enricl
are many, and most of them foul.
McTagg once remarked: "The fake
seem to pay best, and l guess I've bee
a producer long enough"
His brief, but thorough and costly
term in the university of adversely ha
aroused doubts in his mind as t
whether or not honesty might reall
be the best policy, and he gave it
careful investigation. AS result h
learned, among other things, that C,
pidity is more potent than confidenc
III leading men into devious financit
ventures. He had fallen among thos