The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1897-12-18

is left to speculative deduction. The
chirography displayed on the pleadiogs
and papers in the case exhibit q mar
velous familiarity with the science of
hierogiyphIcs and careless disregard
of orthography, etymology, syntax,
prosOdy, and punctuation, and, though
more thon forty years have passed, 1
still retain with vivid recollection my
youthful efforts to decipher the record
when making out the transcript for the
supreme court In 1866.
Among the attorneys who figured on
the one side or the other (and it seems
there were two sides to it) of this great
and historic legal contest are to be
found names "that we're not born to
dle." Alexander Doniphan, whose
name Is illustrious in the military and
civic annals of his country; Henry NJ.
VorIs, who adorned the supreme bench
of the state; James B. Gardenshire,
one of the ablest of Missouri's attorney
generals; Benz. F. Loan, a member of
congress and leader of the bar at that
time In Northwest Missouri; john Will
son, the quaint and honOred nestor of
the law aud the father of Hon. Z. p. G.
Wilson, ex-speaker of the house, MEM
Der OF state senate aud member of con-
gress, and whose greatest legacy Is the
pure and sterling life of his honored
father; VIM. T. Wood, the very soul of
honor and master of the law; Henry L.
Rout, distinguished as advocate and
plesder; James K. Sheely, the very
embodiment of the astute lawyer, the
sound jurist and the perfect gentleman
Prince L. Hudgens, the gifted and
accomplished orator, member OF the
legislature and of the state convention
called to consider the relations between
the state and the general government
In 1861; Basset, Archer and Lee (im-
mortal names) bright stars IN this
splendid galaxy of legal intellectually,
have left their impress on the legal his
tory of their day and generation; Rus
sell Hicks, (primus inter pares) quaint
of speech, massive in intellect, Leonine
in physique, and profoundly versed in
law; Waldo p. johnson, (clarum ct
venerable nomen) peerless as the law
yer and the man, representative IN the
legislature, circuit attorney, circuit
Judge. United States senator, conferer-
ate state senator and member and
president of the constitutional conven-
tion; John F. Ryland, circuit judge,
representative and supreme judge, and
whose professional and judicial life Is
one of the browning glories of the pro-
fession of the law. Those were the
lawyers whose legal and forensic
powers conducted the proceedings in
this casus celebre through all of its
remarkable and extraordinary judicial
mutations. They have all passed in
spotless ermine to the 'sinner court" !"
leaving behind them stainless records
and honored lives. They are the jewels
of the state; the gems and diadems of
the profession.
The time allowed for argument was
unlimited and the ''swelling scene"
opened on the side of the plaintiff by
Rout in the way of formal Introduction
with the usual compliments to the jury
and an oratorical dellniation of plain
tiff's character and defendants maleVo-
lence, passing by sub silentio the evil
dence and instructions.
Judge Hicks followed on the part of
defendant with an address of two hours
and thirty minutes, in which he with
great power discussed the Missouri
compromise of 1920, the compromise
of 1850, the constitutionahty of the
fugitive slave law, the Dred Sect
decision, the Mexican war, the Glads-
den treaty, the Nicaragua expedition,
squatter sovereignty, the Kansas Ne
braska bill and closed with a masterful
eulogy on the life and public service of
Andrew Jackson. He was followed by
his college, Waldo z. johnson, with a
terrific philippe against the plaintiff, Il
vindication of free speech, tree press,
personal liberty, and taking up (meta-
phorically) the three teeth alleged to
have been Knocked out, one by one,
''tooth by TOOTH" exhausted the science
of odontology, denounced "Uncle
Toms Cabin" paid a glowing tribute
to his illustrious client, and closed
with true Johnsonian taeD with an
economic appeal TO the jury TO find
against the plaintiff for causing so
much waste OF "precious time" and
money by instituting such frivilous
and causeless prosecution. Judge
Sheely concluded for the plaintiff with
tear-invIting, "heaven-kisslng" ap-
appeal for the countless posterity that
were to be the future distributes of his
clients character.
remember no reference TO the evil
dence or the instructions.
will now briefly refer to the