New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-02-22
GOSSIP OF THE BOROUGH

Clark Day a lawyer in the damage suit depart
rnent of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company is
much given to lengthy technical discussions before
the Jury. Last week he defending the CUM
pany in suit for heavy damages that mad peen
brought by a woman, who alleged thal sue ''
been thrown the street while alightlns from
car Henry A Powell, who was formerly min
lister and at one time prominent IN hepuoilC..
politics. trying the case for the plalhtl. ms
witnesses testified that the defendant had Iaiien III
a certain manner and injured her back. After MT
Day had cross-questioned the witnesses careluiiS
as to just how the accident was said TO nave &c
CURED, he turned triumphantly to the jury anu
with wave of his hand. said:
Now gentlemen if you are familiar with the
laws Of Newton, that great scientist who dlscoV-
cred the principles Of gravitation-and presume
of course that you are-t will be entirely OBVIOUS
to you that this woman could not nave fallen in the
way that has been described. To say that she dlo
is as absurd as it would be to say that the earth
is fat when all know that it is round. -
how newton had discovered the principle of grayi-
atioP by SEEING re an 10 APPLE fai f he sad
gentlemen of the jury. Mr.. Day seems to rave
s Terv nterestihg Exposition Of them but
have before question OF law ah1 a. no h ~
spending his summers in the country, lying OUT III
me me the law of gTavitation Then he comes back
the city in the fall and rys to tell US Lt my NY
in Brooklyn in the summer watching the eeeen-
treities OF trolley cars ns9ed If droWsily watch
ing appies fan on the country hillside he would not
now be trying to controvert our unassaila6e eyi
dence by learned discussions on the laws OF gFaV'-
Mr. Dav lost his case and it is said that he has
given up trying TO convince jures by the use or
scientific evidence.
There can be no doubt that humor has certain
effect on the average jury and many lawyers en-
ploy 1t TO good advantage. The other day TWO
men were trial for working the 'greengooos
game The evidence seemed pretty strong. and
the LAWYER of the accused decided to bear
heavily on the good reputation that his clients had
enioved He talked at great length on the many
and varied virtues not only Of the prisoners. but
of their ancestors for generations back. 1t was
really clever plea and seemed to have mace
some effect upon the jury. when District Attorney
Clarke in one sentence wiped It all away mora
effectively than if he had talked for an hour
THAT was a clever plea If my friend Mt;
on his lips but to me that after all IL was
nothing more less than a continuation OF the
greengoods business"
The men were convicted
There was much dissatisfaction IN certain circles
over the fact that the Emerald Bah, which for
wears was one of the social events" in Brooklyn
was held this year at the Waldorf-Astoria, in Man
haitian The Emerald Association used TO have
,he annual ball in the Brooklyn Academy of Music
Democratic politicians paid high prices for boxes
tho auditorium was turned into bowers of sham
rocks and other green things so That the aILalr
Changed. There was not a shamrock TO oe seen
IN any part of the big ballroom OF the madGo+i
noIitician was seen slowly making his way out OF
the ballroom before il was half over WY you
Vou?' yes I am going was the reply. This is
no place for the Irish
Professor Hugo MuIertt head Of the botanical de-
rartment in Packer Institute, is much interested
| in dwarfng trees and fish, and at his home IN
Flatbush has produced some dwarfed examples OF