The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1899-01-31
ALAWYER's DARING ACT.
How He Risked His Own Life to
Save That Of a Client.
In the Presence of the Jury He SvvaI-
lowed Deadly Poison But Was
Pumped Out and Won
His Case.


shone at the Chicago bar. The name |
and fame of Billy O'Brien, once one
of the most eminent criminal lawyers
that ever stood before a jury in this
state, came up and then followed a
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 a
case. He was one of the quickest men
to see and take advantage of 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 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
analyzed 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 or
to be swung into eternity. The court
room was crowded with an interest
ed thro0g, which was at a loss to know
what sort of an attempt O'Brien could
possibly make in behalf of his client.
'The states attorney was just about
to close his opening argument and in
a few moments more the attorneys who
had never lost case would certainly
meet his Waterloo But O'Brien was
not to give up without 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 physician, an ex-
pert chemist, whom he. could trust, and
this man had examined the poison, and
the attorney knew lowell 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'Bren called this
doctor into the seclpsion of a private
room and said:
doctor, this is a desperate case. Tell
me candidly and ito certainty how
long I 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
T11icr ~ rot 1Ro
'' Three minutes said he, that is
enough
''Then it was finally arranged that
the doctor should be in waiting for the
attorney Alter the latter had got
through with his argument. He took a
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. All were surprised to
see the calm and confident look which
clothed his face. 1t seemed impossible
that he could have any hope of acquit-
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,
will drink it and prove that tits 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, thank you
very kindly for the attention which yor
have given. to my argument
"Then, making a graceful bow, he
walked quietly from the room. Thi,
much the jurysand audience saw, but
the physician in waiting knew the rest
By the use of antidotes, emetics an6
skillful use of the stomach-pump, hs