The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-07-06
SQUIRE SLAUGHTER.
i Picture of an old-Time Lawyer.

80 iNppolSC W uIllUlGlllRlDlS TOtI,
passed into the inner office and stood il
the awful presence of Counsellor Enocl
slaughter. He sat at his plain, fiat
topped desk with a pad of yellow lega
cap before him; to right and left, OF
chairs and floor, We're law books, spread
open with leaves turned down and pages
marred by interlineations and margiua
notes.
The counsellors flimsy, black, working
coat was hunched up around his neck
MS narrow string tie was under his left
ear: the rim of red hair, which gave his
bald spot an insular rather than a con
tinental aspect, stood erect and defiant
like the British Grenadiers at Waterloo
Evidently 7 had disturbed the lion at the
most dangerous moment--when he was
digesting
so you are the young sprig" Mr..
Slaughter shouted, squirting his small
fnflamed eyes at me, like an ogre about
to crunch, "who wants to study law
with US? ey? Well so you shall, but
after the good old fashion. We have no
higher education fiimhams here; you
must get down to first principles. Just
take that pile of books to the bindery,
steps"
| obeyed, though the thoughts of my
dignity as senior at the university but
a year ago surged in my breast.
Thenceforward, such legal erudition as
acquired with Messrs. Slaughter &
Marchmont came through indirect as
siInilation.
Judge Marchmont, Enoch Slaughter's
partner whose private office was on the
other side of the large middle room
which we clerks occupied as slaveys in
common, was portly gentleman, gen
erous of smile and fully as suave in
manner as the other was brisk in affairs.
His mental pose always seemed on tip
toe lest he might inadvertently tread on
ones feelings. I used to wonder, at
first, why he had chosen the law rather
than the ministry for profession. One
day l heard the partners quarrelling
over the division of q retainer, that is, l
heard Mr. Slaughter quarrelling. One
would think from the ferocious sounds
that If Judge Marchmont escaped with
the skin of his teeth that would be all
the integument he would have left In
a few moments, however, he emerged
from Mr. Slaughter's office and passed
over into his own, as rosy and beaming
as the dawn, and as wide-awake. AS
our gaze met, it seemed to me that his
left eyelid quivered, not fortuitously.
At all events, judging from the size of
the check which he presently sent me to
the bank to deposit, he he'd secured con-
siderable more than an equitable share
of the fee. In time I came to have no
more doubts as to the prudence of his
choice of a vocation than he evidently
entertained himself,
Such being the peculiarities of the
partners it naturally occurred that it
was the judges part to receive clients
and make arrangements with them. He
was wont to explain his assumption of
this duty in parable, saying that to his
mind there were inherent difficulties in
conducting d delicate negotiation in a
ten-acre lot, and that Brother Slaughter
never could remember that he wasn't on
his native hills summoning the hands to
dinner; of all Of which I had the follow
ing practical illustration:
One day, when I was asserting blanks |
in the middle room, a little, old man, |
whom ! recognized as Mr.. Midas, the |
richest man in our town, popped in, in |
a manifest state of nervous agitation. L |
had scarcely communicated the unto
ward intelligence that the judge was out |
when he plunged incontinently into Mr..
office where that worthy
was engrossed in pling up a skyschaper
of a brief for the dumfounding of the
court of appeals. 1t is easy to antici-
pate an explosion when one sees nitro
on T
must say that quaked in my seat as l
listened This is what l heard:
Squire Slaughter, Squire Slaughter"
oiped Mr. Midas shrill voice; GIVE got
sase--the greatest case ever brought.
There's ten thousand dollars in it for
you, down at once-ten thousand dollars
f you'll only take It; I'll draw my check
his very moment; Pip
"Blankety blank you!" roared Mr..
slaughter. "Do you think rye got moth
ng else to do than to hear you blather
,bout money? Tell me in few words
ust what you want, or get out for
flank, blank, old idiot'
The door opened, and poor Mr. Midas
led through precipitately, with his
lands in the air, crying, "Oh, dreadful
nan. What a dreadful man. and in q
ew moments heard the squire discor-
Iantly humming, "The Shining Shore"
ver his work, like a sawmill run out of
il, but in him a sign Of high good hui
nor.
The next day Mr.. Midas was back
gain. but in Judge Marchmont's office,
Which he entered gingerly and with
many fearsome glance, and where, L
m sure, he met with no opposition In
raWing as large a check as he chose
Now, why did a millionaire like Mr..
Iidas, modern type of the Biblical
centurion run the risk Of nervous col {
lpse by returning? Simply because {
9th bench and bar conceded that Mr.. ,
laughter, though no favorite with eth I
r. was the best all-around lawyer in the
ate. He was interchangeable, fearless, I
,ithful, persistent and erudte; per- '
.ct tower of offence or defence for lit t
.ant-rougi1, uncultured, unlovable, but {
.rong. He won his cases by fighting, c
skiing no favors and granting none; and +
D matter how desperate mans affairs q
light be- they were popularity supposed t
, be in a fair way of recovery as soon | r
! II became known that Squire Slaugh- il
+ had them in charge. I
Labor was his delight When not In
,urt he was in his office, unless per- t
rming his two domestic duties of eat v
sI,n VOC