Omaha daily bee., 1896-05-03

witnesses who would flock in from points
for miles around the county seat when court
was in session, the county authorities erected
sheds near the court house, where the liti-
giants and their witnesses could tie and feed
their horses while they attended court, and
these sheds became known as horse sheds.
Now, owing TO the limited space of the court
rooms, the lawyers, who always Travelled
with the court, were unable to held a pri-
vate consultation with their clients and wit
nessas inside the walls, and so they used to
take them under the horse sheds and there
talk matters over with them.
Among the attorneys who attended court
at Chester, the county seat of Meigs
county, on one occasion was Tom Ewing
and Samuel f. Vinton. The court was ready
to go on with the case in which the two
noted attorneys were retained as opposing
counsel, when 1t was discovered that Vinton
was not present. The court looked carefully
around and then asked.
"'Where is Mr.. Vinton?'
~ don't know, your honor said Ewing.
rising to his feeta he is not here, but he is
probably outside horse-shedding his wit
nesses.'
"The remark raised a general laugh, and
thereafter the word horse-shedding a wit
! ness passed into popular parlance."
Maitre Lakeland, the famous advocate, was
perhaps the greatest master of comedy In
France, and not a few eminent actors en-
We'd him his marvellous powers Of mimicry.
He was once employed to defend a muir
derer against whom the facts were hope
lessly clear. When his pathetic appeals and
his tears-whic were alwayo at call when
he pleaded before a country ~jury-failed to
touch his stolid audience, he resorted to tho
most impudent pieces of %trlckery.
Thrusting his moistened white handker-
chief into his pocket, he demanded II the
Jurors were men, If they had human hearts
II they could bring themselves to condemn a
iellow-man like the accused, whom he had
credited with all sorts OF chiyalroue, II not
sanity, merits. His eloquence was not
merely f%ruitless, but the jury responded 10
1t at first with uneasy s%hufling, then with
biting lips. and finally with loud and uncon-
trolled bursts OF laughter.
Lachand. while hlDging about ms hahds,
had Intentionally dipped his fingers INTO the
great inkpot In front of him, ana as ne Grew
his right hand across his forehead, as II In
agony Of despair at the certain tate OF the
accused, he left upon his brow an enormous
blaok mark like a crescent moon, and drew
other black traces down his checks, as he
nut his fingers to his eyes to dash away the
tears.
conduct, he continued:
"You are about to decide whether one OF
your fellow-men shall be thrust by you out
Of the ranks of the living. and you choose
such a moment for indulging In cruel ana
thoughtless laughter. is this eXtrayagant
mifth a fitting mood In which to decide
whether a man shall or shall not dle?"
The argument actually told upon the jury
Tho man was acquitted.
HaTper's Bazaar: Mr., Higgins and Miss
Ulmple had been discussing marriage In an
smpersonal manner, when the young woman
'hhounced her preference in this way:
1.-THE man | marry must be handsome,
%siented, amiable. courageous and without
fault of any sort whatever"
This is very sudden" replied Mr.. Hug
gins. II thoroughly appreciate tho honor