Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-10
MAxEY AND HIS GUN.
Former Attorney of This City Got a
Job Tru Nerve.

me following SlOTy from lle LES
Moines News undoubtedly has refer
ence to w. T. Maxey, until a couple of
city, who later located in Des Moines.
Maxey was not very successful in his
practice here and did not stand high in
the legal profession. From the article
below he is meeting with better sue
cess in the capital city. altho he seems
to have got his start by flourishing a
gun and threatening to shoot the presi-
dent of a coal company who afterwards
employed him. The News story fol-
lows
There is young attorney pracucing
law in this city-a late arrival from the
south-who will some day make his
mark" meditatively observed county
official the other day to a group OF re-
porters down at the court house. He
has the necessary gray matter and
nerve along with it. Why, do you know
he secured position with one of the
big coal companies here in the city at
the point of a pistol? Yes, sir, he act
ually made friend of the president by
threatening to let daylight thru his car
cass.
1T is laughable incident. Make
graduated in the law department at the
Northwestern University and then took
four years at Yale. While in school he
was considered a plucky sort of fell
low, jolly and all that-but the boys
knew when to let up on a joke. Well,
after graduation at Yale he came to
Des Moines and settled down to the
practice of law. Among his early eli
cnts was a miner who had been in
jured in a coal mining accident. The
latter, thru Make, brought suit to re-
cover $4,000 and the petition was to
have been filed in the Polk county court
on or before the beginning of the Feb
ruary term.
The president of the company has a
rough exterior and is gruff, but fairly
good business man with keen eye for
anything that might be beneficial to
his company as was afterwards demon
strated when he employed Make to
look after the legal end of the enter
prise. He was furious when the origi-
nal notice was served on him and in
less than five minutes had connected
with the law office of the young attor-
ney.
lido you mean to say you are going
to file that suit?' he roared thru the
phone.
why yes answered the attorney
That's what I am here for
We'll, l want to tell you that if suit
is commenced | will make it very warm
for you and don't you forget it. am a
<,I,,. y, =
Make quietly replied that he was
born and raised in a warm country and
thought it would be impossible for the
mining concern to make 1t too hot for
him.
THAT afternoon the petition was filed
with the clerk of the district court.
Make, taking the president at his word,
fully expected an attack and was pre-
pared. He brought to the Office long
barreled six-shooter-a daisy-and
loaded all around. This was quietly
laid in the drawer and Make, with one
eye on the door, calmly proceeded with
his work.
1.-The expected visit was made. Late
in the afternoon the door opened and in
walked the mining president. But Max
lie was on the aleTu. NO sooner naQ the
form Of the corporation officer darkened
the door than it was covered with the
X-Shooter.
Move hand and I'll bore a hole
clean thru YOU said Make drawing a
bead on his unwelcome guest.
Walk over to that chair and sit
down but don't you move hand.
"The president, his faced blanched to
Wilderness and the bravado all gone,
walked to the chair as directed.
Z" For heavens sake, man." he finally
gasped, are you mad? Put up that
blamed ugly gun and talk business with
me-
"'Not until I have had your promise
that you are not looking for trouble,
answered the young lawyer.
II don't know what passed between
the two men but I do know that the
case was compromised and Make is
now attorney for the Wild Rose Coal
Company and one Of the rising lawyers
of this city"