The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-05-14
VEST AND A "vERMIFUGE MAN.
L


mOny of an Expert Witness.
THE resourcefulness of the late Sen
ator George G. Vest shone brightest
when he was fighting against heavy
odds" remarked ]. G.. Trimble, veter-
an Kansas City lawyer, to a Star
writer.
Il was a young law student at Mex
co when l first had the good fortune
IF observing him in action. Judge Sam
Priest, one of the finest lawyers in the
representing Miss Annie Wilson. who
vas claiming pretty fair slice of old
Phil Williams Monroe County estate
Phil was her cousin and her bill was
for services rendered him in his last
years 1t seems Williams was a bit
cranky ard he found it difficult to get
anybody around home TO take care OF
him and he wrote to his cousin. She
lived in Virginia. He promised TO pay
her well IL she would come over and.
attend to him. When she came he
said:
Nov, Annie, me and you will agree
about what each others TO do and put
it down in writing Verbal contracts
are no good in matters of this kind
(which looked pretty sensible in the
light of the vast litigation over con-
tracts for services made verbally. The
contract was signed and the woman
faithfully cared for him the balance of
his days. After the funeral she showed
her contract to the executor and de-
manded her wage. He thought the bill
too big, or something. and refused 10
pay it, So she sued. The executor de-
tended on the ground that the old mans
signature was a forgery
1T was pretty hot trial Among
other witnesses the executor put on an
expert to testify that the signature Of
old man Williams to the contract had
been forged and to explain how he
knew that was so. This expert was
one of the most capable men for such >
task | have ever seen. He not only was
thoroughly courteous and modest, but
he seemed to know exactly what he was
talking about. He was well educated
and talked in the confident way of Il
man who is sure of his footing. 1t was
clearly evident that his testimony was
making an impression against the claim-
ant. He told where the signature to
the contract differed from the genuine
signatures shown h M and made II so
clear that all could understand. When
he had finished testifying in chief the
claimants case was gone-I mean had
the trial ended there.
Judge Priest turned gloomily 10 his
colleague:
lyon tackle him, Vest he said; I'm
not feeling WE'LL
Vest moved up his chair, elevated
his shoulders until his head seemed to
sink into them and squeaked:
What's your business. you say?'
THE witness said he was an account
ant
Where you FROM
'Some town was named.
1.-THE witness enlightened him.
"'Where before that?'
Again the witness answered.
"'Where before that?'
Philadelphia
Whereabouts in Philadelphia?
"Jaynes chemical works
Where did you say that WASP
philadelphia
"'Jaynes works, you say?'
Yes. sir Jaynes chemical works
81 see. said Vest, hitching his chair
up closer and elevatlng his shoulders
still more. That's where they make
vermifuge?'
They make NUMBER of proprie.
tary medicines said the witness, with
quiet dignity. but don't
but do they make vermifuge?'
cried Vest, shrilly.
~ didn't know the names OF all they
make, but l WASN'T
THAT'S all, Mr.. Vermifuge.' said
Vest eXultingly, well excuse you
Everybody in the court room roared
with laughter at the way Vest bleated
out the word and the witness retired
with flushed face. When the time came
10 argue Vest closed this way:
~ ask you. gentlemen, to name one
solitary line of evidence brought
against this honest wOmans Just claim
for money earned by the toll of her
hand and the sweat of her brow? Not
thing on Gods green earth but the
vermifuge man. Are you going to de-
prive this good woman OF the fruits of
her labor on such testimony as thar,
Gentlemen, If You ever need (which
pray the good Lord you won't-take
his medicine, but don't on peril of your
good conscience and horse sense-don't
take his evidence
while making this appeal Vest was
screwed up before the jury in a char
acteristic way that will be readily re-
called by all Missourians who ever saw
him pleading to his countrymen and the
words flowed from him in a whitening
stream of sarcasm. The crowd-iudge.
jury and all-was convulsed with
laughter The jury had verdict for
the claimant inside of ten minutes"
ANN~.N~N~~
HIS CHARGE (