The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-07-01
Your trial will commence tomorrow
morning at o'clock"

morning at 9 O'Clock"
The Judge turned to go. But all this
while there was a red-shirted miner
whose blood was boiling with indigna-
ton. Force man to trial two days
after the crime was committed! What
lawyers these were, not one daring to
defend this man, who must enter upon
fight for his life!
There was movement in the court
room crowd, and from its depths stepped
forth John Arman.
''That man shall not go to trial to-
morrow morning at 9 o'clock" he ex-
claimed.
In anger and astonishment the Judge
turned back. "Who are you?" he de-
manded.
"It's no matter who / am. l know,
perhaps, little about the law. That
man shall not go to trial tomorrow
morning at 9 o'clock!"
"Repeat that, and I'll throw you in
jail" furiously exclaimed the Judge.
Van Arman squared his great shoul-
ders, threw out his chest, and in tones
ringing with defiance, answered:
Throw me in jail? You throw me in
jail-you man, if l may call you such,
you, who in the city of Chicago, lived
by your wife's infamy for six years, and
sold your daughter to a gypsy actor,
you-who are now fugitive from JUS
tice-you throw me in Jail? You
wretch, you dare not lay one finger
upon John Van Arman!"
The judge turned as paleas the white
washed walls behind him. He turned
to reply and the words choked Him.
He staggered from the courthouse.
The miners crowded about Van Ar
man in admiration and wonder. They
admired man who was fearless enough
to stand up for the under dog in the
fight, They wondered at the deep ef-
feet Of their comrades words
Next morning the courtroom was
again packed. The miners were curious
TO see how the strange passage Of arms
between the judge and the miner was to
end. Nine o'clock came and no Judge
The old court clock struck 10 and the
judge was still absent.
The man whom Van Arman had so
boldly faced had, it later developed, fled
the country in fear. In him the great
lawyer had recognized Chicagoan OF
some little prominence in thc .ante-bel-
lt,m days, but who was finally forced
to flee from the city to escape arrest.
Whether he ever coupled the name OF
John Van Arman as given him by the
miner who came out of the crowd with
that of the lawyer will never be known,
but he saw that this man knew too
much.
John Van Arman, when the crowd had
filed from the courtroom, gossiping over
this strange turn in the case, went over
to the rude Jail and said tersely to the
prisoner:
"I'll defend you."
The prisoner was only too glad to have
any one on his side. Then Van Arman
went back to work with pick and shovel
After several weeks, when he had had
plenty OF time to prepare his case in odd
times, the trial was again called. A
judge from another circuit was sum-
moned to preside over the case. Along
through the mountains the word had
gone that miner was to act as lawyer
this mysterious man who had defed
the Judge and driven him from the coun-
try.
Miners from the slopes and diggings
far and near came to the courthouse.
Five minutes after the trial commenced
the spectators saw that this roughly
dressed miner did know "a little about
the law"
Although Van Arman had been paid
tens Of thousands as fee, he never tried
a case as he did this one. At the end OF
the first day the wonderful defense that
was being made was the talk OF the
county.
"And this man is only common fel-
Ter like the rest of us, what has ter
shovel dirt for livin'," was the COM
ment.
The second day the miners demanded
bigger room. Court, so great was the
clamor at the door, was adjourned to
the "opree-house," a long, low pine
structure. ...
Here, on the same boards, where barn
storming companies had trod, Van Ar
man, in his rough garb, strobe before
the jury, arguing, questioning, ridicul-
ing, cajoling, pleading, while the audi
tors held breathless silence. Such a
trial, of course, had never been heard
in those parts.
Then it came to the defense's final
plea. Already Van Arman had all but
won judge, jury and spectators, and had
pounded down the line Of the prosecu
ton. Now, to make his victory COM
plete!
Long years afterwards he said grimly:
1T was as good speech as ever
made"
When, with such fight Of oratory as
had often entranced Chicago court
rooms, Van Arman finished, his case
was WOn