Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-05-08
A STORY OF
1.-THE LAW.
[Original.1

rahle upon tine subject Of his thought.
A specialist in throat diseases Is apt to
refer all the ills man is heir to to the
throat The professor Of ancient lam
guages cannot understand how a man
can be properly equipped for any pro-
fession without knowledge of Greek
and Latin. TO the merchant the chief
end of man is to buy cheap and sell
dear.
In the legal profession this species OF
monomania tends to make the court
room q tournament of lawyers. The
real object of a court, to do justice, Is
buried under a rank professionalism
that has grown up like weeds In
flower garden.
Edward Avery, brilliant young
LAWYER. was especially under the intiu-
ence of this professionalism. Having
been elected state attorney, he consid-
cred it his duty to convict alike the
innocent and the guilty. AS soon as
his duty to the state had ended and he
became an independent attorney he
considered it his duty to secure the
acouittal of any client, whether inno-
cent or guilty. His friends used TO re-
monstrate with him on the want OF
elasticity of his principles, but with
out avail. lie was intensely logical
and could give the best of reasons tor
his deductions. He forgot that logic
IS but a machine which will grind out
anything that is put into it.
one day while Avery was practiclng
on his own account man whose trial
for burglary was to come of imme-
diately sent for him and asked MIN 10
make his defense.
But | know nothing about the case. "
Don't want y to know nothin' about
the case. The more you know about
It the wose for me-"
Avery's fancy vas tickled at gong
into court TO conduct case he didn't
know anything about. He prided MINI
self ON his readiness and resource. he
vould add another to his already large
number Of stories that he was used 10
telling his friends illustrative OF these
faculties. The accused man had but
81 TO give him for a retainer, but
Avery was not after money. His OBJ
iect was to have an opportunity 10
show what he could do impromptu.
The case came off the same after
noon. Avery was somewhat surprised
to see in the courtroom several OF his
chums. mostly of the legal profession
and asked why they were there. dc
WINS told that they had heard he mao
taken a case he didn't know anything
about. and they were curious to see
how he would handle 1t. Avery was
pleased. This meant that they were
there to witness bit of professional
fireworks.
Avery in summer lived in hand
some suburban residence. In winter
he shut 1t up, went to the city and llVeC
in apartments till spring. When the
prisoner was brought into court anC
tbe witnesses were got together, the
counsel for the defense was surprised
to see among the latter faces OF his
nejghbors in the country But VIVA
was his establishment when the pros
ecution brought out the fact that thu
robbery had been committed in his Owl
house.
Avery's friends were watching MIN
and when this fact dawned upon hin
they snickered. The young attorne!
saw at once that they had placed hin
in a position to defend his client from
robbing him. But he was game. No
the slightest change Of countenance ID
licated that his professional equanlm
itv had been disturbed. He listene'
calmly to the evidence against his eli
ent. while the expression Of his fac
md quick Gashings in his eyes toll
that he was straining his brain to tint
some weak spot in the prosecution
;ome technicalty by which he nigh
secure the acquittal of his client
The burglar had been seen comm
. down a trellis from an upper story D.
q man with whom Avery was well aC
ouainted. He had been chased. but o
the way had contrived TO get rid o
, some valuable articles When apprt
. hended. he had nothing on him to cor
yict him Of theft OF course the jur
|, wcrn entirely ignorant of the situate
.Ijt had been brought about by A'
, s friends. When the prosecutor
= .-.lence vas all in, Avery took the WI
ae9s who had seen the burglar descan
2 the trellis and asked him how he kne'
. the prisoner was the same person. IN
{ witness could not swear that he wa
J | He had seen him run, and he had bee
q followed by a policeman and severe
Q citizens. but the witness had merel
seen man descend the trellis. Wha
J | man he did not know. Avery trappe
3 him into saying what threw doubt o
e the fact of the identity between III
' man who had descended the trellis an
r the prisoner, then showed how easy
e would be for the one to be mistake
s for the other. He closed by powerfl
O argument against running a MANS III
bv evidence that was defective and
+ pathetic appeal for the prisoner. III
J. Jury brought in verdict of not quit
2 There was a dinner served that nigl
/, at the bar association club rooms. gi
e en- by those who had played the Jol
:, on Avery. He revealed the fact TIL
+ he had lost articles that had been
|, his family for 200 years by securir
e the acquttal of his client, but that
n would rather have suffered the loss tina
e do so unprofessional an act as to tul
:" against client. He thanked them OF
Y and all for baving given him an o
j. portunity to prove that even under Il
J. severest temptation he could not
e recreant to his duties as an attorney.
a All of which is very fine, but it do
II not add to securing the object f
y which courts are organized-justice.
P.B. ANDERSON.