The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-01-13
DARING ACT OF A LAWYER.
His Desperate Attempt to Save His
Clients Life.

talking the other day about some noted
cases which had been tried in Cook
county and of the attorneys who had
ahope at the Chicago bar. The name
and fame of "Billy" O'Brien, once one
of the most eminent criminal lawyers
that ever stood before jury in this
state, came up and then followed q
flood of stories about him.
'O'Brien," said one of the lawyers,
defended in the Cook county criminal
courts, 26O people, and during all his
varied and exciting career never lost
case. He was one of the quickest men
to see and take advantage of a point in
favor of his client and when pressed to-
the wall would somehow squirm out
and make what seemed certain convic-
ton a point for triumphant acquit-
tai.
"O'Brien once had a client who was
on trial for murder and all the evil
dence had apparently gone to show con-
clusively that malice and the coolest
of deliberation had prompted the pris-
oner to take the life of the victim. He
had administered poison. The elements
of the deadly drug had been taken from
the decedent's stomach, and on being
analysed were found to be Identical
with the remainder of the poison in
the bottle, which was offered in evil
dence and which stood before the eyes
of the jury. The horrid skull and
crossbones glared from the side of the
bottle, which was turned toward the
IL men who were soon to decide whether
the prisoner at the bar was to live OF
to be swung into eternity. The court
room was crowded with an interest
ed throng, which was al loss to know
what sort of an attempt O'Brien could
possibly make in behalf of his client.
1.-The states attorney was just about
to close his opening argument and in
a few moments more the attorney who
had never lost a case would certainly
meet his Waterloo. But O'Brien was
not to give up without a struggle. Ne
cessity inspired him, and he had already
before the evidence was completed, pre-
pared an outline of the manner in
which he would approach the jury.
''O'Brien knew a physician, an ex-
pert chemist, whom he could trust, and
this man had examined the poison, and
the attorney knew too we'll from his lips
that it would kill him. Furthermore,
he knew it was this drug that had
killed the person for whose murder his
client was on trial. O'Brien called this
doctor into the seclusion of a private
room and sad
HDootOr tbiS &c q ta naSe Toll
me candidly and to a certainty how
long l can live after drinking the re-
mainder of the poison in that bottle?"
"'Why, O'Brien, you couldn't live more
than three minutes
The face of the great criminal law
yer lighted up and he saw hope that he
might yet win the case.
Three minutes said he, that is
enough
Then it was finally arranged that
the doctor should be in waiting for the
attorney after the latter had got
through with his argument. He took
station in an adjoining room, where
O'Brien could quickly reach him and
waited with his preparations to coun-
teract the poison. The states attorney
| closed his argument with an apparent
triumph, the hangman's rope was al
most dangling before the eyes of the
prisoner. Everyone in the courtroom
craned his neck aS O'Brien rose and
faced the jury. III we're surprised to
see the calm and confident look which
clothed his face. 1t seemed impossible
that he could have any hope of acquit-
tai or even of saving his clients life.
He paid more attention to the medical
witnesses than he did to the others and
labored to break down their testi-
mony.
after a pretty good argument from
the facts which he had to work upon
he drew his address toward close and,
picking up the bottle which contained
the remainder of the drug, held it SO
the IL men could see it.
"'Now, gentlemen said the attorney,
as he paused and significantly looked
at the bottle, Just to show you that
| this is not the deadly poison which the
witnesses for the state have said it is,
1 will drink it and prove that it is harm
| less
There wasn't person in the room
| whose hair did not stand on end and the
people sat as motionless as if death had
! grasped them. O'Brien, confident and
composed, raised the bottle to his lips,
drained it TO the bottom, set it on the
| table and, as coolly as if he had been
slipping wine, turned to the men in
whose hands the life of the prisoner
rested and said:
Gentlemen of the jury, l thank you
very kindly for the attention which you
have given to my argument
'"Then, making a graceful bow, he
walked quietly from the room. This
much the jury and audience saw, but
the physician in waiting knew the rest.
| BY the use of antidotes, emetics and
| skillful use of the stomach-pump, he
had in a few minutes removed all the
| poison from OBrien's stomach and
| quickly the lawyer came back into the
room, coolly sat down and listened to
the closing and dsjonted remarks OF
the prosecuting attorney.
The jury retired. 1t had believed
that the bottle contained poison, but