The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-09-28
For the Messenger.

tOT the heSSelGeT.
The recent death, at an ad-
vanced age, Of Mrs. Frederick
LutterlOh "a notice of which was given
in the Messenger at the time), recalls
the late William B. Wright, whose
widow b was at the time Of her last
marriage, as well as some Of his pre-
decessOrs and contemporaries Of the
Fayetteville bar.
Perhaps in no country IN the world
does the profession of the law stand in
such high reputc as it did in the south
previous to the civil war; and no man
held his calling 50 dear, and guarded
Its good name and standing with such
jealous ear as the OId-time southern
lawyer. In his relations with MS
fellOw-m2n as possible clients, he was
like the proud, high-toned public citi-
zen, who requires IN office 10 come TO
him absolutely unsolicited. remem-
Der that Judge Strange and Hon. James
c. Dobbin. Franklin Fierce's secI cary
Of the navy, had their law Off IS at
their country homes, and thither the
man having law business had I 20.
William B.. Wright lived ut a beau
tiful place on HaymOunt. which vas
burned when Sherman destroyed the
Confederate arsenal. He was s feet 7
inches in height, and before old age
had claWcd him in it's clutch. was
stout in proportion They were all
PresbyterianS, and a handsOmer family
could hardly be found anywhere wncn
they entered church-Mr. Wright at
the head, then his wife, tall and state
by, followed by his tall, handsome
daughters, and her SOn, now Captain
James G. Smith.
They rode in a rOOmy, close carriage
drawn by a pair of immense bay
horses, driven by a cOachman nearly
as big us his master. The q and
front yards on HaymOunt were Of
great extent and the dwelling, though
not tall covered much space. When
a little boy. recalling the family pro-
portions, | WAS very much SURPRISED
on going over there one day with my
mother, to find the chickens in he
yard # just the ordinary size, and to
see that the cook, standing in the
Kitchen door, was Il little driad-up
negro woman, who would not weigh o
hundred pounds.
Mr.. Wright was once leading counsel
IN q case of arson in this town. which
attracted much interest and packed
the courtroom. His effort was to
prove that the defendant, a negro boy,
was half-Witted and not responsible
for his acts. He had on the stand as
witness Aunt Bella Arsy, IN Old
cOlOred woman, a character" OF The
place, very ShreWd, and gifted with
the sly humOr So often found in old
family servants. : Mr.. Wright bent all
the powers Of hss mind, and brought
TO bear all his SKILL as a cross-examin-
er, TO wiring the admission he desired
from Aunt Bella, but the old woman
eluded him With Il deXterity equal to
his OVID. He had a habit, in the great
strain OF Il case, of deepening his voice
and slowly shaking his massive head
unnl his abundant gray hair fell about
MS brow like the man of an angry
lion. He now brought these forensic
arts IN play against the witness, and
doomed out:
Now, Aunt Bella, | ask YOU. and
remember that you are on your oath,
haS this poor negrO boy more sense
than he ought to have"
The cunning old woman changed her
n~y-bOnnet from II arm TO the other.
hItched herself forward in her chair,
and, with a sly twinkle of the eye
around the court room, with the pacu-
liar tone Of voice which marked the
you, TOO" i%nnuendO:
oh. no, Mr.. Wright, and there are
lots of folks | know that haven't SOL
any mor thar they ought 10 have
John D. TOOmer had few EQUALS in
his profession anywhere in North Car
DINA, and got on both the supreme and
superior court benches. He had a
very lare practice and was one of the
men of whom it was said that his
,EellOw-citizens would elevate him to
any position in their gift, but who
wanted nothing and would accept moth
ing. He removed to PittSbOrO, and
lived TO an advanced age.
While Judge TOOmer was on the
bench of the superior court Robert
Strange, afterward judge and United
States senator, perpetrated a witt
cism subsequently published in he
humorous columns of the old Harper
Magazine. One of the witnesses in Il
case Of which Strange was counsel was
q woman. who, after the manner of
her sex, was not forthcoming when
wanted. Mr.. Crier,' asked Strange
did Sarah MOny answer" mo, ST"
"Well, make proclamation"
"Oyez! Oyez! Oyer! Sarah Mony.
Sarah Mony! Sarah Mony! Come into
court, AS you are bound this day to do
Or your forfeit shall be recorded
Don't answer"
"Mav it please your honor" said the
counsel, Il shall proceed in this case
without ceremony Sarah Nony).
The clean shaver, rosy face Of the
little judge flushed in gratified appre
citation of the pleasantly OF the lea ned
counsel, the jury moved ureasily II
their seats as if in protest against {
joke in their misery. the bar bowes
and the court room Uttered.
My DEAR" said Judge Toomer t
his wife, as he slipped into his eof'
6raccinu onun ond oNmfnrtahlo elm