Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1897-01-02

Hon. George Douglass Wise was
born in Accomac County. vs. His
father was Tully r. Wise His mother
was the sister of Gov Henry A.. Wise. =
Ee entered the Confederate service
and was on the staff of Major General
Stevenson. He began the practice of
law at the close of the war and was the
first commonwe alth 's-attorney of
Richmond, under the new constitution
in 1870, he held the position five
terms OF two years each, after which
he was nominated by the Democratic
Convention as a candidate for Con-
gress from this district, serving seven
terms Of two years each. He is now
engaged in the practice of his profess
sion.
POWERFUL LEGAL OPPONENTS.
Mr.. Wise figured in the Calhoun
Sands case, in which the forgery of a
note was involved and by which the
property of Solomon Haunstein was
acquired. This case is reported in
Grattan. He was opposed by such le-
gal luminaries as Gov. Henry A. Wise,
Gov Wells, Judge Crump and a part
of the time by Marmaduke johnson,
Esq. He fought them all single-hand-
ed and alone, won the case, and upon
their appeal was sustained by the Su-
preme Court of Appeals of Virginia.
THK KILLING OF CURTIS.
He was again the central figure in
the Poindexter-Curtis Murder Case.
In this he was opposed by Hon; John
S. Wise, Hon. William L. Royal, and
Hon. John b. Young. Poindexter was
convicted. Upon the appeal, he scored
q signal victory. The Supreme Court
sustained the findings OF the lower
court. The point was as to whether
the cowhiding of Curtis in the morning
could be brought in the testimony rel
alive to his killing in the afternoon.
Mr. Wise had commended that it could
He was unassisted in the prosecution.
THE PROSECUTION OF COLEMAN.
Another case was that of Col. Will
lam Coleman. editor of the leading
Democratic paper of the city, the Rich
mond Enquirer who was indicted for
embezzling the money of the state, he
being secretary of the Virginia Fund
ing Commission, He was opposed by
Judge H. w. Flournoy's father, and
Lawyer Barksdale, assisted by Leigh
Page, Esq. Coleman was convicted
His case went to the Supreme Court of
Appeals and the lower court was sus-
tanned. Mr.. Wise had won again.
DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTIC.
To say that this distinguished attor-
ney's spirit of fair play is inherent, is
but TO say that the history of his fami-
ly connections have been traced. 1t ia
distinctive characteristic of the
Wises' and he was justly indignant
when he noted the treatment accorded
helpless womanhood, and the denial to
them of the simplest rights guaranteed
under our laws.
Mr.. Wise throws his whole soul into
any case in which he may be interest,"
ed and is ever on the alert to protect
the interests of his clients At no
time does he lose his equilibrium or err
in his judgement.
POWERFUL AS A LAWYER.
AS lawyer, he is walking ency-
clopedia.and can refer to case after case
to sustain him in his contention Watch
him il you will. he will pause, and
steady his head for the instant, as in
deep thought, then call for the author
ity from the library. from which he
will have read copious extracts in sup
port of any position which he may
have taken.
AS an orator, persuasive reasoner,
ne has lew equals and no super Tor
When he has concluded q case. he has
made it so pla in that the most thick
headed juror an see it. whether he
will or no.
THAT PIERCING GAZE.
But his stern piercing eye is a study,
and he fixes his gaze upon the person
or persons with whom he is arguing a
point and holds his attention to close
His gestures are thoroughly original
and any of mis- friends will tell you that
"only George Wise can make them "
But they ara effective. ALI of the char
acteristics q the two other distinguish
ed ATTORNEYS concerned in the Lunen-
burg case are to greater or lesser ex-
tent ever present in him.
VIVID REMINDERS.
Never shall we forget the argument
which he made before Judge Coleman
at Amelia o. II. with pile Of law
books spread out before him. which
would have astounded the uninitiated
He lost there, but won before the Su-
preme Court. His argument before
the latter tribunal was on par with
that before :he former. He may have
added little here and there. but for
cogent reasoning, impassionad appeal