Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1900-09-28
TURNED A CLIENT AWAY.
Lawyer Did Not Care 60 Act for q
Pretty Hut Beiiigsrent Young
Woman.

.
Chief Judge George Savage, OF the
orphans court, says the experience
of practicing sattorney are varied,
sometimes exciting, says the Balti-
more Sun. 81 recall" he said, ian ex-
perience of my own which gave me .
shudder. 1t occurred years ago, and
I cannot recall the name OF my client,
who was a woman, or remember how
she happened to come TO me. re-
member her appearance well. She
was tall, gaunt, determined looking
and not very well dressed.
"She told me that she had valu-
able interest in an immense tract of
land in Texas, ana she asked me to
act as her counsel in securing her
rights. / told her that | was unac-
uuainted with the laws of Texas and
would nave TO associate with me
Texas lawyer. She assented to this,
and ] wrote to a law firm in the To-
cality named by her, stated the facts
as she mad given them to me and
asked their advice. They promptly
wrote me that II was true that the
woman had an interest in thousands
of acres of land in Texas, but that
lengthy and expensive litigation
would be necessary to establish her
claim.
"On the return Of the woman to my
office Mt an appointed time | read her
the letter / had received from the
Texas law firm. She listened atten-
lively and then exclaimed:
"'Oh. you need not have read me
that letter. The spirits have told me
everything that was passing between
you and the lawyers in Texas
THAT was the first information
had that supernatural agencies were
enlisted in my clients behalf. Then
she added, in emphatic tones:
81 have had a good deal to do with
lawyers, and shot a lawyer in Texas
who did not do my business to
suit me-
"As had felt hot lead when wound
ed in front of Petersburg in 1864,
had vivid realization OF what a pis-
tol ball would mean to my corpus,
and instantly determined to get rid
of my client, who would possibly have
hot lead in store for me. made no
comment upon her forcible way of
dealing with unsatisfactory attor-
neys, but excused myself from fur
ther consideration of her case that
day upon the plea of most pressing
business, and politely requested her
to call n week later
"She returned on time, but whether
armed or not do not know. l told
her then that | had thought over her
case most carefully, and, l might say,
prayerfully. and that / felt it was my
duty to advise her to get some ag-
gressive counsel. playfully added:
You may think because my name is
Savage that | can successfully fight
Texas squatters and lawyers. but l
am n gentle barbarian. and would not
be equal to the task
"She responded to this: NO, / don't
want another lawyer. You are get
ting on very well with my business.
II still had before my mind that
possible bullet and the wreck il might
make of all my earthly hopes and am
bitions. At the risk of offending her
and having her whip out pistol and
command my services, nolens volens,
again pleaded my inability in the
matter and urged her to employ an
other counsel. did not dare refuse
to serve her. 1t was only after good
deal of talk and an earnest plea as
to my own shortcomings and imper-
fections that | happily diverted her
mind from any preconception in my
favor as an attorney, and induced her
to seek professional advice and serv-
ices elsewhere.
81 never heard of her again, and ]
considered myself fortunate in having
rid mysclf. courteously and dirlo.
matic',liy. OF c,iant who was in e:ose
communication with the spirits, and
withal. nerve enough to try to make
her attorneys serve her to her salts
faction or to take the consequences
at the point of II pistol. | had not
asked retainer of her. and did not
dare to mention compensation to @
client of that type"