The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-01-24
NAY < Y Az 4 Az VAN
q p
,, 1oofeU'S First Case :
Il - D
II A Lawyers Successful Start In
Western Town He Served "
D. Warrant and Worked 81
- upa Reputation.
Wv 4 Y Y V V Y 4 w.
w AYAYAYAYAYAY s

| succeed in life, and the confidence In
him WAS not misplaced, though the
stated reason FOR " was not very snt-
isfying. He went up to San Francisco
to study law. Bung Town bet ON him
because he WAS such marvellous piss
tol shot
At bottom no doubt the Bungies be-
lieyed In Lem because they liked him
and wanted to hear good things of
him, a substantial basis of a prophecy,
since they might give him business up
on his return If they wanted to. Again,
Lem was shrewd Indeed, he was
tricky, "sllek.' the town said laughing
the while. for while sickness was
part ntolerable to western prejudice
1t was acceptable when the trlekster
was straightforward about It, A mer-
ry thief might be good fellow" his
surly pal" could go hang.
Lem had great luck. When he came
back, dressed In city clothes, he got
case almost before he got down from
| the stage
"Sumpln's up" said the driver as
they turned into the main street
He pointed with his whip TO an ex-
cited group of Bungles standing In
front of the store.
maybe It's n shooting, and III Just
call 1t murder and get the chance TO de
fend it," said Lem, throwing one leg
off over the end of the rear, ready to
Jump down.
Hello, Lemw Say. there's Lem
Hooleyr Lem Hooley, s'help metz
Hello, Lem"
Thus they greeted him, and he drop
ped among them, both hands out, to be
shaken and to shake each hand. He
was glad.
"But what's upf' he asked.
The crowd turned, with lnugh, to
Cooley, the sheriff, who had a piece of
paper In his hand.
"Cooley's got n warrant to serve.
and he's a-skeered to serve 1t. -
"Skeered! Well, | guess not, not II
there were 80 grensers stead of 10. I'll
serve 1t all right"
'Well, why don't you serve 1t, them"
asked Lem merrlly.
because l can't get n man with the
glzzard to swear in aa deputy to help
me.n
"What do you want help forY
"Fhere's ten of them over there" He
pointed to u greaser shanty across the
street. "Will you go alongT
"What's been done, anyhow
"Greaser Ike shot Yellow Mike, you
remember, who used to tend bar In the
dance hall, and the Mexicans In the
county Is bound to see him out of the
scrape'
| ~ don't see much In that" said Lem
"Nhy don't you go ahead and arrest
! your Lamp
"Will you go along as deputy? 1t
means shootin, and II lot of II, against
| knives, too, and you'll want all the
| good eye you used to have"
mo, | won't go along as deputy to
| you, but I'll tell you what I'll do. II
the crowd won't string the prisoner up
when | take him, I'll go over alone"
"All right It's n CO." they answered.
"Better take my gun" said Cooley,
Offering his six shooter
"I'm all right" said Lem, tapping
his hip.
There were several offers of com
pany, willing ones, but the young law
yer rejected them all.
He walked rapidly across the street,
leaving the crowd happy and silent, in
terested and full of admiration. With
out drawing his gun Lem went
straight up to the door, showed 1t open
and stepped In out Of sight, and not II
shot was heard nor an oath nor fall.
1t was all as silent as before. The
crowd at the store wondered, waited
| awhile and wondered out loud Ought
they not to go over and see what was
| uD2 Maybe knife fixed him before
he could draw. The Bungies discussed
It carefully, but they believed In Lem,
and they decided again and again that
they'd better "leaye him be-" And
they did.
III was n wise decision. In two min
| utes Lem came out with Ike. The 9th
err Mexcans appeared at the door Of
their shanty and quietly watched Lem
deliver to Cooley the accused murder
er, Greaser Ike. who was AS meek as II
lamb.
That was something new In Bung
Town. You desplsc greasers, but not
exactly as lighters. They will fight all
right enough, but the contempt for
them is only as pistol shots aud as cit
liens. II Is no crime to kill one.
Now, Lem knew this sentiment, aud
when the trial came off, with all the
county present and about one-tenth Of
the white population In the Jury box,
the young lawyer. who appeared to de-
fend Greaser Ike. applied II deity to
the ease He showed that yellow Mike
was gfcaHcr and a mo good" greaser,
so thai 10 shoot him was not murder.
| or course he admitted, II WIS not the
| custom to lose the chance to get rid
OF two greaScrs by hanging the one
who survived n fight to the finish. But
that custom was not only unjust-lt
was shortsiPbtcd. If white man had
right TO shoot Mexican, n Mexican
ought To have the same privilege. or
the principles on which this great re-
Dut lie was founded were naught and
the law, which he had learned to re-
spect, WIS Il useless sham. Bung Town
was off the track of travel, but that
was no reason why II should be be-
hind the times. He had found that In
many OF the most prosperous places
he had passed through the law was
being upheld. IL was the proper thing
now; II was all the go. He urged Il
trial Of this policy upon Bung Town.
The case was won. But Lem enjoy
ed the situation, so he went on briefly
to turn up the practical advantages OF
his theory. If they hung up to dry any
greaser who killed another greaser,
they would stop the handiest men with
the knives. who, II allowed their free