The Springfield herald., 1898-11-18
A LAWYERS STORY.
JUDGE DAYS LEGAL TRIUMPH.
How the UnassumlnE Ohio Man Got the
Best of tho Boston Legal Lumi
narles.

DObt oI tuo Abostoh AekHA ASeAA'-
naries.
Senator Fairbanks of Indiana is
fond of telling about an invasion of
the Boston courts by country law
yer two or three years ago. A big
litigation was on, involving the con-
troll Of an Ohio railway, and seven or
eight legal luminarieS of the largest
magnitude from Boston We're there
to represent the bondholders and the
'reorganiZers. The local stockhold
ers and the management of the road,
who were fighting for their own
preservation, Were represented by an
unassuming attorney from a small
town in Ohio. who appeared in deli
cate health and was an entire strang
er in Boston. AS he came into court
he modestly took II back seat without
any other demonstration than Il po-
lite bow to the judge and a pleasant
good morning" to his formidable
army of opponents. During the morn
ing proceedings he did not open his
lips and showed no particular inter
est and when the Boston lawyers
went to lunch at Young's hotel dur
Ing the noon hour they We're chuck
ling to themselves about the easy
manner in which they were going to
dispose of what they had feared
might be Il very tedious and trouble
some litigation. Senator Fairbanks
was present ns II spectator. to watch
the collateral interest of the Wanda
liza line, of which he was general so
licitor. and was looked upon ms n
neutral party. So they invited him
. to lunch with them, and he heard
their humorous allusons to the coun-
try lawyer who had appeared to rep
resent the other side.
"Gentlemcn." said the senator after
awhile. II have had Il good deal of cN-
perience with country lawyers and
have learned not to dcspisc them
Your conduct of this case is. of
course. not my affair. but advise
you TO he on your guard. for If that
country lawyer over there in the cor
ncr of the court room wakes up he is
likely to give you trouble. | kept my
eye on him this morning and l have
come to the conclusion that he knows
his business"
The ornaments of the New Eng
land bar laughed in derision. and
when the court adjourned that after
noon they taunted Senator Fairbanks
with his warning. for the country law
yer had not opened his lips during the
day. And so the case went on, the
Boston attorneys occupying all the
and plans for the consideration of the
court which We're entirely in the in
tercst of their clients. and having cv-
erything their own way.
About the fourth day. however. af-
ter the ''reorganiZers' had disclosed
their whole scheme and committed
themselves to II line of procedure
which left the legitimate owners of
the road in the cold. the country law
yer came forward and modestly inter
posed n few objections in the interest
of his clients. The Boston crowd at
tempted to throw him down with
rush, but he quietly plunged his spear
into the weak spots of the armor of
every one of them and drew blood at
every thrust. Before the day was
over he had them all thoroughly de
moralized and quarreling among
themselves. while he submitted few
motions to the court. which were i'm
mediately sustained. The result. ms
Senator Fairbanks tells II. was that
when the case was concluded the
country lawyer walked off with the
whole thing. leaving the lights of the
Boston bar In semi-comatose condi-
tion and wondering what had hap
pened TO them. The senator says 1t
was MS keen and complete n case of
legal strategy rs he has ever known
in his long practice at the bar. and
that the country lawyer was William
Il. Day of Canton. Ohio. now, a mem
ber of the peace commission.-Chicn-
80 Record.