The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-07
AN OLD PRACTITIONER.
Mr. Samuel ID. Irwin of POOIer Twice
Admitted to the L. :. Court.

Mr.. Samuel ID. Irwin of PooIer Twice
! Admitted to the L. :. Court.
Mr. Samuel D. Irwin, retired member
of the bar, and one who will doubtless
be remembered by many savannahians,
| has written rather pathetic
| letter to Mr. H. H. King
clerk of the United States Court
| and one that viii not be without interest
TO those who remember the days he speaks
| of. Mr.. Irwin is now a resident of Pooler
| to which place he retired some time ago.
| and is quite aged. AS he states in his
| letter, he is probably the only lawyer
| now living in this part of the state who
was twice admitted to practice in the
| United States Court. He writes, in part,
| as follows:
Invalid Chamber, Pooler, Ga, No
vember, 1885, Honorable Clerk L.
S. Court. Savannah, Ga: Dear
| Sir-I have been INDUCING in
| "reminiscences to-day. as an old man is so
prone to do, sometimes on one experience
| of the past and then another, and this
time it happens that an old bundle of COM
missions, civil and military, has brought
your court prominently before my mind,
as well as my own connection with it in
| the now mist musty past.
1t has occurred to me that, perhaps,
am the only surviving member of your
| list of attorneys, solicitors and proctors,
| who had the honor or the misfortune, at
| least from a pecuniary point of view of
| having to make application for re-admit-
| lance to plead and practice once more
latter the late unpleasantness between the
| states of the union" now, thank God!
! almost forgotten. My first commission
| bears the date of April 8, 1860, Nico,l,
| judge. Henry clerk.
| I had, however. brought many cases in
| the court previous to my own admission,
| in my partners name, Richard f. Lyon.
| Our firm name was Lyon & Irwin, of AL
| bany, Ga. When 1 was admitted to the
| state courts, although what was then call
| ed the Jack Jones FORMS had been le-
| galized, no old or respectable lawyer would
| use them in the state courts, unless some
| times when greatly hurried to arrest
| party under a bail process, or in trover
| and bail The old English common law
| forms were strictly adhered TO in your
court. Nothing but good pleading, with
out erasures or interlineations would
"hold water there. A good pleader had
a great advantage. Almost all United
| States Court business was in Savannah.
| There were no moonshiners then. There
were admiralty and maritime cases
brought mostly by the resident bar, and
suits for debts against those outside. No
circuit court was held elsewhere until aft
err the war. ! brought my first suit for
debt in the northern district court in At
lanta in 1859. Business up there was a
mere pastime to the judge and clerk, but
it is not so now.
Another commission still turns up here
among my pile l had some business in
bankruptcy, but was disbarred. Fortu-
nately l had President Johnson's warrant
of pardon bearing date Aug. %, 1865, and
Secretary Stewards certificate under seal
application was made backed by this seal
of the state department and was for the
second time, upon taking the OATH enroll
ed as attorney, solicitor, etc, in the
northern district court of Georgia, Frs
kline, judge, Smith, clerk, pocket book
lighter by $40 clerks fee.
But this did not put me back upon the
roll of the circuit court. Consequently, at
the April term 1868, was again chunky
dory," in that court with another spank
ing new commission with Mcpherson,
clerks name, and a big red seal, minus
another $40. And all because of the little
misunderstanding and scrimmage afore-
said, in which. at the age of rs, l am
proud to tell my children l was no idle
spectator. When they sent us to grass
and all was lost save honor, I threw up
my little sponge along with others, and
"Uncle Andy said: Good little boys,
come back into your fathers house" AS
Jack Brown said about taking a little
office in Washington instead of going to
Congress from the Third district, when
Phil Cook beat him. cit was ground hog
case with some of u.s." and meat and
bread for wives and children Mr.. Toombs
could afford to play in the role or unre-
constructed, but we could not indulge in
any sucn foolishness for that is just what
II was We had given our parole and that
ended all thought of belligerency ever
more on the subject of that controversy.
wei now, viii you kindly examine the
roll and send me a list of those who like
myself were twice admitted to the privi-
lege Of practicing at the bar of your
court? First it was in the Sixth circuit
and last in the Fifth Gen. Howell Cobb
James r. Nisbet VIM. y. deGraffenreid |
and several others whose names do not
now recall, were with me at that term,
but whether they had been reinstated be- |
fore that time I cannot tell. MY impress
sion is that that was the first term at
which re-enrollment commenced.
If at any time an old writ demurrer or |
plea of mine should discover itself among /
the old flies the chirography win be diff |
ferent from this. From many years use
in laborious service my good right hand
lost its cunning, and the result is pen /
paralysis In September, 1888, I essayed |
practice. Some time 1 can write better |
and palmer than before, but It is a slower |
and more laborious process.
The letter concludes by saying that Mr. |
Irwin will endeavor to come to Savannah
at the spring term Of the court to see IL
once more during his life.
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