Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-16

English law of sunmum bonum. It
Il was good enough for that time, and
was good enough for the English but
aeree with Mr.. Jones that our fore
fathers tunbed that law over in the
revolution, and It's case will be decid-
ed In favor of the defendant under the
law of pluribus unum which WAS
4 put up in its place"
Though Matt was good man, and
i believe belonged to the church, he
had the eccentric habit of swearing
4 when he was provoked without being
he was noting down some points In
the argument Of the opposing lawyer.
4 Brother Teter, who many of you
I VIII recognize as q widely known and
facetiousy clergyman of the Methodist
church, came in and took seat where
he could look over Mats shoulder.
Just then the opposing lawyer travelled
very provokingly outside of the record
IN his remarks, and Matt noted down,
BY God he Is travelling outside of the
record. BY God will travel outside
Of the record also" Wlhereupon
Brother Teter said to him, Brother
; Jones, how can you be SO profane In
court 2" Matt looked up and said.
Who told you that? If you hear
anybody say that use profane Ian
guage, you are authorized to say for
me that he Is a id liar"
fhS W IMiocfl Ihtstfiil -peiOTS alluQ~
ed to, and whose name Is so closely
interviewer with Iowa history as to
make 1t as familiar as a household
word, more original character and
a more perfect specimen OF d real old
fashioned down east. backwoods.
nasal talking Yankee could not we'll
be imagined. Very tall, slim, bony.
gaunt, long necked and loose-jointed,
he always reminded me OF Ichabod
Crane, the Yankee schoolnaster In
Irving's Legend OF Sleepy Hollow"
In facial expression his features were
long and pointed, and deeply pitted by
small poX but this II was thought
was rather an Improvement to his
appearance than otherwise. He was
reared In the mountains OF New
Hampshire and worked in saw mill
and on the farm Of his father until he
was nearly of age. He used to relate
that he worked one season for a farm
and at the end handed his father SGT
Of his earnings. This was character
istic of the man. notwithstanding
his early disadvantages he acquired
an academical education. and from
: the time he came to Iowa in 1914, UNI
til his death, he was justly regarded
us one Of the best equipped lawyers
in'the state. He was at one time your
lieutenant governor. But he never
could, and probably never desired to
throw Off his Yankee dialect or Yankee
tone imbibed among the hills OF his
native state. He always referred to
the joint sessions of the house and
senate, as the 'jint" session. and per
sisted In calling the district court the
"deestrict" court. He could look MS
grave as Presbyterian deacon and
j sing psalms as solemnly as one OF
4 Cromwell's soldiers. AT the same time
he had keen sense of the ridiculous
and was as cunning as a fox. On one
occasion he appeared before q young
judge and to enforce a point ne de-
sired to make, Enoch brought with
him, and attempted to read Black
young judge, after moving uneasily
about in his sent for a while, said,
Mr.. Eastman, I've read Blackstone"
oh, heV ye," responded Enoch look
ing at the judge over the top of his
spectacles with an air of surprise. On
Mahaska county, to, which he first
came, Crookham, who vas nearly, as
e quaint as himself, and represented tina
other side of the case, told the jury 1.
was something of farmer himself
and knew all about hogs. Enoch In
gentleman says he knows all about
hogs. He oughter, for he is the big
gest bore In the county"
But there was a deeper and more
sublime vein in his nature. AS the
erection of the Washington monument
was approaching It's compilation. each
state was called upon to contribute an
appropriate motto to be inscribed on
its face. Enoch composed and pre-
scented the following FOR his state:
Iowa, the affections Of her people,
like. the rivers Of her borders, flow to
an inseparable union" What could be
more chaste and elegant. 1t was
adopted and inscribed along with the
mottos of the other states and it is
universally conceded to be the rarest
gem of them all. II Is sufficient to
render his name as enduring as Iowa
itself
4 Judge Crookham was one of the
early lawyers of the state. He was
plain and homely in dress and man
ners, and delighted to represent the
common people, He was not felicitious
in speech, very absent minded, and
perpetually perpetrating bulls at
which. however, he never laughed
himself, because he never noticed
them Judge Loughridge related to me
this incident, which he said occurred
in his presence. It was in the very
hog case to which reference has been
made in connection with Governor
Eastman. His clients name was
Fiefield. After other witnesses had
testified he put his client on the stand,
: and with a wave of his hand said
Nov. Mr.. Fiefied tell these hogs all
you know about the jury" Neverthe-
less he was lawyer Of no mean abil-
ity, and before jury Of his county,
every member of which he would per-
) sonally know, he was most formid-
able adversary.
Probably the most unique among
the great lawyers of the state and
territory, was David Rorer. of Bur
| lington, whom I knew intimately. as
! indeed I did all of the men of whom
have spoken. The last case in which
he appeared and argued orally In the
supreme court of Iowa was with me.
1t was that Of Wapello County against
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Ry.
Co. to recover on the quartum meruit
4 the value OF certain railroad bonds
which the county had subscribed and
paid for. He represented the company
! and the county.
4 Judge Rorer had been the compeer
Of all the distinguished men of the
territory and state and stood shoulder
to shoulder with the greatest of them.