The daily Alaskan., 1907-05-04
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How l Achieved Success
1EanaRalstas.aLs.. I.- -L5lll
LOrIginsLl

LAE4blIlAs-
 How dld I, so young a man, acquire 80 large a criminal practice? Just a5 I was ready to begin to practice my profession I read the biographies of many men In America who had early achieved emInence. From their exam pie I deduced a principle, During the early years of ones career let him do ten times the work expected of him.
 If Francis Atwater had not gone to sleep on the train that was taking him to hls home In the suburbs and not gone on to ROyaltOn instead of getting out at MiIlburn he would not have been convicted of the murder of Fair fax Douglas, And quite likely l should have missed an opportunity to make a name as a criminal lawyer. But Atwater did go to sleep on the train and did wake up and get out three stations above his own.
 Hello, Atwater" said bis old friend Douglas as they met on the platform. What are you doing up here"
 Atwater told him of his snoOZe, and as there was no train down for an hour Douglas pressed him to go home and dine with hlm. Atwater accepted, and the two men went home together. Douglas lived with his mother, who was away at the time, and there was no one with him except the servants. The two men dined together, and after dinner Atwater kept putting or his departure from train to train till at last he consented to remain all night.
 At l2 o'cll}k host and guest went up stairs to their bedrooms. Just before getting into bed Atwater went to Douglas room tu tell him that he must take an early train in the morn ing and could not remain for break fast. Douglas was putting his watch under his pillow, and Atwater saw, as the pillow was lifted, a revolver.
 "For burglars?" asked Atwater, look ing at the weapon.
 "No."
 Atwater appeared curious, and Doug las added that there was story con- nected with his keeping a pistol under his head at night and that he always carried one about him during the day. Atwater pressed hlm to. tell him why he did this. but Douglas seemed trou- bled at the mention of the matter, eL- cuslug himself from giving the story. Atwater fOrboUe to press hlm further and went to his own room.
 AtwateC awoke in the morning dressed and went to his friends room to say goodby. A fearful sight greet. ed hlm. Douglas was lying dead, his head hanging or the bed so as to eL- pose the throat which was dark pur- pie, indicating strangulatiOn. Atwa- ters first Impulse was to arouse the house. but his second was to allow some one else to discover the murder, Be knew that the man caught with a murdered person was liable to suspl- clOn, and no one can tell where such suspicion will lead He would depart as he had intended, saying nothing about having seen hls friend. He left the room, turned to go down the maln staircase and. descending, went out of the front door. He was all of a trem- ble when he got on the train, but went to the city, attended to his duties as usual and was going home, expecting to see Douglas death In the evening paper, when he was stopped at the door of bis office by policeman, who arrested him on a charge of murder A maid had gone up the back staircase as Atwate5 had emerged from the chamber of death and had seen him leave the room.
 I was retained to defend Atwater and got the story have told from him. but I could not tell such a story to a jury. A murder trial is a tilt be Tween the prosecuting attorney and the accuscd's counsel with weapons aE ranged for by the court, the judge handing them their pistols just as a second will hand pistols to duclists. ] had no case whatever. Douglas could give no reason for being at ROyalton except that he had gone to sleep on the train. He was seen leaving the victims room and had gone to his busi- ness saying nothing about the murder. The prosecuting attorney made a fine speech. calling the jury's attention to the wisdom of the Supreme Being who had sent the maid up the back stair case in the nick of time. Atwater was convicted and sentenced to be hanged.
 It was after the trial that l got ln my fine work. l knew from my CIi- ents story that Douglas had been OK peCtlng an attack, but from whom? ] worked night and day till found out but, finding out, I could not prove that the person T-suspeCted had committed the murder. One thing of importance ! did find out, though to do so had to play detective. The secret enemy had sworn to kill not only Douglas, but an other man. That other man was at the time of Douglas death in Europe. When he returned l asked him Ques- tons, the answers to which tailed with what ] had learned.
 One morning l found myself dis ] tInguished criminal lawyer. l had slept the night before in the bed usual