Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1898-09-27
THE COUNTRY LAWYER.
A Story os the Eniigaren of Bos-
toms Legal Circles

toms Icasni Circles.
Stnator Fairbanks If Indians is fond
Ct telling about an int asion Of the Eos
ton courts b. country lawyer two or
three years ago. A big litigation was
on, involving the control Of an Ohio
railway, and seven or eight legal lum-
inaries If the largest magnitude from
Boston were there To represent the
bondhcldcrs and the reorganizers. !"
The local stockholders and the manage
ment Of the road, who Were fighting fer
their own preservation, were represent
ed by an unassuming attorney from a
small town III Ohio, who appeared III
delicate health and was an entire stran-
ger in Boston. As he came into court
ne modestiy took a hack seat without
any other demonstration than polite
bow to the judge and a pleasant good
morning to his formidable army of
opponents.
During tie morning proceedings he
did not open his lips and showed no
particular interest, and when the Bos-
ton lawyers Went to lunch az Ioung's
hotel during the neon hour they were
chUCkling 10 themselves about the easy
manner IN which they Were going to
dispose Of what they bad feared might
be a very tedious and Troublesome liti-
cation. Senator Fairbanks was present
as spectator, 10 watch the collateral
interest of the NaEdalia line, Of which
he was general solicitor and was looked
upon as neutral party So they invit
ed him TO lunch with them, and he
heard their humorous illusions to the
country lawyer who had appeared to
repre- sent the other side.
Gentlemen. - said the senator after
awhile, Il have bad good deal of OK
perionce with country lawyers and have
learned not TO despise them. Your con
duct Of this case is Of course not my at
fair. hut | advise you to be on your
guard, for if that country lawyer over
there in the corner of the courtroom
wakes Up. he is likely to give you trou-
BILE. | kept my eye on him this morn
ing. and | have come to the conclusion
that he knows his business.
The ornaments of the New England
bar laughed in derision, and when the
court adjourned that afternoon they
tainted Senator Fairbanks with his
warning, for the country lawyer had
not opened his lips during the day. And
so the case went on, the Boston attor-
neys occupying all the time, submit
ting motions. suggestions and plans for
the consideration of the court, which
were entirely in tho interest of their
clients, and having everything their
own way.
About the fourth day, however, after
the "reOrganizers" had disclosed their
whole scheme and committed them
selves to line Of procedure which left
the legitimate owners Of the road in the
cold, the country lawyer came forward
and modestly interpCsCd a few oblec-
tians in the interest of bis clients. The
Boston crowd attempted to throw him
down with 4 rush, but he quietly
plunged his spear into tue weak spots
of the armCr Of every one Of them and
drew blood at every thrust. Before the
day was over he had hem all thorough
ly demoralized and quarreling among
themselves, while lee submitted few
motions to the court, which Were i'm
mediately sustained.
The result, as Senator Fairbanks tells
it. was that when the case was con-
cluded the country lawyer walked off
with the whole thing, leaving the lights
Of the Boston bar in semicomatose
condition AID wondering what had hap
pened to them. The senator said it was
as keen and complete a case of legal
strategy as he has ever known in his
long practice at the bar, and that the
country lawyer was William R. Day of
Canton. O., late secretary of state and
now Il member of the peace commission.
Chicago Record.