Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-04-18
DAILY STORY,
A STORY OF THE LAW.
[Original ]

centra ton of thought is one disadvan-
tage. Such concentration leads the
thinker TO place an undue relative
value upon the 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 Ian
guages cannot understand how a man
can be properly equipped for any pro-
fession without a 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 a tournament of lawyers. The
real object of 81 court, to do justice, Is
buried under rank professionalism
that has grown up like weeds in a
flower garden.
Edward Avery. a 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 tie
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
acquittal 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 He was intensely logical
and could give the best of reasons for
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 practiCing
OH his own account man whose trial
for burglary was TO come off imme-
Giately sent for him and asked him 10
make his defense.
But l know nothing about the case
Don't want v to know nOthin' about
the case. The more you know about
it the wo'se for me-
Avery's fancy was ticliled at going
into court to conduct case he didn't
know anything about. He prided him.
self ON his readiness and resource. He
would add another to his already large
number of stories that he was used to
telling his friends illustrative Of these
faculties. The accused man had but
So to give him for retainer. but
Avery was not after money. His OBJ
jcct was to have an opportunity to
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.
l.,
was told that they had heard he had
taken a case he didn't know anything
about. and they We're curious to see
how he would handle il. Avery was
pleased. This meant that they were
there to witness a bit of professional
fireworks.
Avery in summer lived in Il hand
some suburban residence. In winter
he shut it up, went to the city and lived
in apartments till spring. When the
prisoner was brought into court and
the witnesses We're got together, the
counsel for the defense was surprised
to see among the latter faces OF his
neighbors in the country. But what
was his establishment when the pros
ecution brought out the fact that the
robbery had been committed in his own
house
Avery's friends were watching him,
and when this fact dawned upon him
they snickered. The young attorney
saw at once that they had placed him
| in a position to defend his client from
| robbing him. But he was game Not
the slightest change of countcnancc in
dicated that his professional equanim-
ity had been disturbed. He listened
| calmly to the evidence against his eli
ent. while the expression Of his face
| and quick Hastings in his eyes told
| that he was straaning his brain to find
| some weak spot in the prosecution.
some technicality by which he might
| secure the acquittal of his client
The burglar had been seen coming
| down trellis from an upper story 10y
man with whom Avery was we'll ac
| quainted. He had been chased. but OF
| the way had contTived to get rid OF
| some valuable articles. When appre
| hended, he had nothing on him TO con
| vict him of theft. OF course the jury
were entirely ignorant of the situation
that had been brought about by Az
| erys friends. When the prosecutor
| evidence was all in. Avery took the wit
ness who had seen the burglar descend
the trelliS and asked him how he knew
the prisoner was the same person. Til,
| witness could not swear that he was
He had seen him run and he had beer
followed by policeman and severa
citizens, but the witness had merely
seen man descend the trellis. Wha
man he did not know Avery trapped
him into saying what threw doubt OF
the fact of the identity between tn,
man who had descended the trellis anC
the prisoner, then showed how easy i
would be for the one to be mistaken
for the other. He closed by powerful
argument against running a mans llf
by evidence that was defective and
pathetic appeal for the prisoner. Tn
jury brought in a verdict of not guilty
There was a dinner served that nigh
Il