The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-08-12

HOW he SAVED The DAY FOR HIM
SELF AND HIS LAWYER.

My first case came ut Florence, Ala.
h = few months after | was licensed
writes Attorney Il. NJ. jackson. Tn
sheriff there. Captain w. L. White
Z DOW dead. "a gallant Confederate soldie
, and n Of natures noblemen, met III
ON the street and told me there WAS
man confined in the county Jail VIII
wished 10 see me.
was then 81 years old. but woul,
readily have passed for IL. The client
name was Patrick Donovan, but he wa
commonly called Patsy Donovan. Go
ing 10 the Jail. l found a man from 3,
20 30 years old, an intelligent. mic,
! looking, devil may care Irishman
When l entered. he greeted me with
Good evening. miss. Pretending MOI
10 have heard him address me as miss
and assuming much dignity. l told him
1 was n lawyer whom the sheriff had
promised to send him. For answer he
exclaimed. well. I'll be id" and
burst out MISUNDERSTANDING uproar.
iously- was irritated to a degree by
this reception. Il beg pardon, Judge,
it's a go. You do look pretty young,
but Tom (tho sheriff. says you are a
daisy. Get me out Of here, and my
folks. who've got plenty. will pay you
well for your trouble"
He told me his story. He was a skill
ed mechanic from Keokuk, Ia, and had
been employed by the government in
constructing "a lock ON the Mussel Shoals
canal. near Florence. He had shot the
physician in charge Of those works.
This physician was a brother Of the
United states engineer in control Of the
canal construction. and it was evident
that the prosecution would be bitter,
sparing no pains or expense to secure q
conviction, entailing a long penitentiary
sentence. The doctor and my client
Were both men of reckless courage and
overbearing temper, both sometimes
looked on the wine when il was red,
and both. i inferred, were striving for
the favor Of the same woman. A clash
between them SOC came. They had a
savage quarrel at their boarding house
at dinner. The doctor being armed and
my client unarmed, tine latter had to
submit to unlimited abuse and would
nave been shot but for the interference
Of several men who were present. Soon
after nightfall of the same day my
client went TO the doctors Office and
sleeping room, about a mile distant and
In a secluded place. and, knocking on
the door, was hidden by the doctor to
come in. Entering. he found the doctor
putting on a shirt. and thus for the
moment disabled, and. remarking. lyon
had the drop on me this morning, but
We got it on you now" fired. striking
the doctor in the neck and inficting q
dangerous but not fatal wound.
The case o came on for trial.
While the defendants version of the
occurrence as be had given it TO me was
very different from the one in the FORE
yet IL was so improbable In itself
so inconsistent with the attendant
circumstances that il looked as il q SEN
OF ten years was inevitable II the
case was then tried. To gain q post
ponement an objection wat interposed
to the competency Of the court on the
that he was related by affinity
20 the prosecutor. This failed. Next an
effort a made for a continu-
The state fought this aggressive
~, thus giving warning Of what was to
and II. too. failed.
In sheer desperation I then Whispered
% my client, Your real name Is Pat
lick, not Patsy. isn't it," The indict-
named him Patsy Donovan. Then.
moving TO quash the indictment for the
nlsnomer. l wrote out the defendants
In support. The affidavit stated
hat the defendants name was Patrick
that he was commonly known and
allied by this name and not by the
Of Patsy Donovan. He took the
fhdavit and read, or seemed to read, il
aretully and, going to the clerks desk,
wore to it and signed 1t "Patsy Done
an This, OF course, was the way he
signed his name, but he neve
effected that to sign it Patsy this time
vas to afford the strongest evidence Of
he falsity Of the affidavit
Arguing the case without looking at
he affidavit, ! didn't see how he had
igned 1t, but the state attorney had
the signature and in his reply
allied the courts attention to it. This
disclosure raised a storm Of laughter
nd jeering in the courtroom. l was
onfounded and at the end Of my re-
ources. Not so was Patsy. Realizing
is peril. that the slip was his own and
he alone could retrieve IL, he spoke
mt. not a whit abashed: II signed it :
'atsy out Of pure respect for your honor.
not for me to give the lie to your
Ionor's court papers. Your honor's
curt paper saysI'm Patsy, and I'll sign
Patsy until your honor gives me leave :
D write my own true name" ]
The court sustained the motion from ,
ure admiration for Patsy. We now '
ad time TO look about us. A lew
ionths later the case was tried, the
nry falling to agree. The bail bond, Q
hitch bad been fixed at a high figure, .
as then reduced to q reasonable sum-.
70 gave the bond. saying he had "lost !
y a nose. :" but no never returned to |
land another trial. although his bonds
zen were promptly reimbursed, and the