The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-28
A YOUNG LAWYERS START.
THE QUEER STORY ON WHICH a SEA
CIPT.IIN BASED A CLAIM.

turc ~ an English Cruiser. aud n BnrHnin
with the Commander OF tho Latter-ne
Founded the success OF n New Work Lawyer.
There are few lawyers who have achieved n
moderate share Of success who cannot trace 10
back TO one particular case or to n specially for
tunatc stroke OF some kind said a lawyer
whose success was recognized long ago. IL have
heard many lawyers tell OF their first case.
and I have always been interested in such
stories; but | I'm inclined to think that my first
case was more interesting than any that I have
ever hoard of.
My experience when l began the practice Of
law was similar for a year to that OF other young
men. / suppose. but l thought that 1t was harder
at the time. l was graduated from the Law
School in 1858, and l promptly opened a small
Office In Nassau street, and announced the face
by q modest sign.
AT the end OF my arst year my little capital
was nearly exhausted and was wondering what
my next move would be, when one afternoon .
man walked in and said:
"'Ive come to see you about a bit Of law. sir
"Hc pulled off n battered seaman's cap and
sat down awkwardly IN q chair. His appearance
didn't promise much OF q retaining fee. His face
was woatherbeatcn and his hands were rough
and black, with stumpy fingers. He wore an old
blue REFER jacket and wide sailors trousers, and
his voice flled my office. He introduced himself
as u captain IN inc IntTCnhnI btTNlCG, anu Dos
cause he may be still alive for all I know, I shall
call him . simply = Gait in Ba n1 = :.o wv.r .,-,,.
WI do a general law business I answered
stifiy, and 4 you will briefly explain your case
Capt. Barnes moved around uneasily In his
chair as II debating my offer and then he fished
avery dirty piece of paper out OF the lining Of
win YOU coilecewhat's due me ON thatI',,
1T was the most curious document on which
to base a suit that | ever saw, The paper on
WHICH 4 was written was a page torn from q
f SsSlia bible se 'n %le Is s ,ha. fis Il Was and ae 1t had sl SsSn
Across ono page was written in red ink:
~. promise to pay Capt. Barncs one. at.h of one.
the Nancy vi Bef Rt'A' money resulting 'A' 'A'
"GREArJoHs. Commander Il. r. NJ. ship sprtte.
read this interesting document over twice,
and then turning TO the Captain ! said:
This isn't much proof for a suit. What Is the
lit means, sir. that the English Governments
owes me about $500 for my share in that prize
How does the English Government happen
r.BGSaGse i seized my ship, sir. and that
''If there is any merit in your case I will
take it, l said. but l must know the whole
Capt. Barnes looked at mo refectively and
then he told me his story. ! can't reproduce his
sea slang, but 1 remember his story almost word
and it was a piece of bad luck. You soc, sir, I
wac hhi oiouhu Nhu I AOohih6 u bhlp
hard luck, and just ash was ready TO ship an q
have the Nancy B.elifi II Knew : how to keep a
sealed orders. There were queer things going
on at sea, as. you know, sir, and / wasn't In q
RSsi'iSdH % TO Hiff sh sn sa fsSG ot th es ShnpPy I b G1riy w ast 70
be and perhaps not. / don I say one way or the
other She was a trim little craft, carving a
dock | made up my mind that she could show a
clean pair Of heels in a stiif breeze. i signed az
NSPtai mi snd ias sGa'bB at ann sn,pR Rea a shs iie ~ SAIL H.
ors anywhcEe. got a tip TO keep ont of the way
didn't see a thing, that was put into
her hold; 1t was Just q year ago on
Dor under orders to, go to the Blight Of Benin
and there open sealed orders that would give
i Benin tnf'n Well fif sir. it's in the here eo rs sne s pentiS on
of the Gulf of Guinea, between the Slave Coast
and the Calabar River, and it's not a place to go
there Is iron-bound, and the rivers don't offer
morning we brought to In sight OF the coast. We
were all in good spirits, because if our cruise
dered a portion Of rum to Be served al HIHs around,
and we drank to continued luck. Then I went
hardly had l got the envelope in my hands when
there was a suspicious whiz above dock,
and two seconds later came the report Of :
on deck. and there, less than half a mile to
our stern was a gnnbSat. flying the English
colors and waited. The, gunboat came to and
lowered a boat allied with jacktars in command
of a Lieutenant. We were not prepared to make
any resistance, though l suspected that our Jig
was up. The Englishman boarded us and asked
49," You know as much about them as I do,"I
said, for, we came here under sealed orders,
and here they are, unopened
THE Lieutenant knew his business, however,
and after looking our boat over and noticing
NiSinDa md a Urpaf many chaina and aharklaa
he said:
but you had better come aboard with inc and re.
port TO Capt. G.reatJohn. Bring your sealed or
dcrs with YOU"
boat, which proved to he the Sprite. the Captain
ordered me TO open my orders. As had suspected.
the Slave Coast and receive a shipload Of nissers.
That was contraband business, and / knew 1t.
c GilS me- sFef H. ioIa m n"5t iSat il n wa G@s1ps tS protest. Ssss
against the seizure Of the Nancy Bell might
protest and he damned. II l did he would put
Nancy Bell was chartered for the slave trade and
sec that we were all sent back to the United
States, and he would give me one.tifth OF one
Bell. l knew that my boat was lost. any way.
Fl ja'e;ah A. >" 5 fsfFs '3 We Ss ssil.d fs1 IL and E. Fsssssfi
To lSra bind our on hS = I.at the tn nf G"PR.iSbiln a wrote %h.u this his
INNN 1bkt4
the Nancy Bell was sold. and the English Gov
crE.Inent paid my way back to New York. The
Nancy BELL has since been sold, and although I
have written for my share Of the money l have
had no answer. | can't get another ship just
now, md | want you to collect my money"
The mans story interested me and a few
questions con WINGED me that he was telling the
truth. ! had nothing TO do, and as a pure specu-
lation ! took his case. He left with me the
Bible-leat agreement and told me that he would
| cal again in two months. | looked up all tho
law that | could find bearing on the case, and
there wasn't u great deal, and then l filed the
claim with the English Government. I received
word that the claim would be investigated, and
the reply convinced me that no attempt would
he made To dispute the main points OF
Capt. Barncs's story. The Captain called on
me two months later, looking a little ~rustier.
! couldn't give him much encouragement, how.
ever, ~ he went on "A short cruise south, and
came TO sec, me again when no returned, In the
mean time had been carrying on a lively oorre-
spondencc with the English Government. but
there seemed to he no way to hurry the case
along. Capt. barnes came ~ TO see me at regr-
developments until the war broke out. ! had