The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1909-12-16
HOW He WON
HIS FIRST CASE,
BY EDGAR 3. GARDNER.

in athletic sports than in his studies.
Though not large man, he was Wlry,
and his muscles were like steel. What
he lacked in weight he made up in
pluck, and, as for quickness, he was
spry as cat.
Snelson after being graduated stud
led law and returned to his country
home to practice his profession. But
his neighbors lived too peacefully to-
gether to afford him any cases. and he
went to a mining district in the Rocky
mountains.
The young lawyer hung out his shin
gle and so long as no one required his
services lived in peace. He was not
quaTelsome, and no one had any rea-
son to quarrel with him. Occasionally
some one in sOmbrero hat, wooden shirt
and trousers stuffed in his boots would
rally him on his eastern ready made
clothes, but there was nothing in this
to warrant the shedding of blood.
But law cases were not plentiful in
the west. when suddenly one day the
Empire Mining company employed him
in a case against one who had jumped
a claim it owned.
Traphagan. the defendant. had no
title whatever to the property. He
proposed to hold it by brute force. He,
had killed half dozen men simply
by shooting first. He would hide
pistol in a pocket of his coat and
shoot without rawing the weapon.
In
rorized every one who came in con-
tact with him. AS soon as SnelSOn
was announced as the mining compa-
ny's counsel Trapha"an stated public
~ in the ALEXANDRIA saloon that if the
tenderfoOt appeared in court to argue
the ease he would pay for his assur-
ance with his life. Of course he in
tended the statement for the lawyer,
and the message went straight to
Snelson
1t was generally conceded that the
case would never come to trial. No
one thought that the quiet young ten
derfOot would pay the penalty of ar
guing a case with his life. nor was
there any other lawyer in that region
who would stand in his place. Trap
hagan did not concern himself further
in the matter. not doubling that he
would be left. for the present at least,
in possession of the claim he had
jumped. When the day and hour for
trial came around he had forgotten
all about it, Notified that the case
had been called, he hurried to the
courtroom.
The sight he saw there startled him.
The court was seated on a three leg
ged stool before a board resting on
two barrels. The jury occupied a
dozen cracker boxes. A large number
of spectators were present, not for the
purpose Of hearing the evidence, but
to see the fun. The most noticeable
feature of the spectacle was the ten
derfoot attorney standing before a
barrel turned on one end, the other be-
ing covered with two long knives and
two revolvers of the heaviest caliber.
Snelson looked the defendant in the
eye and said:
II have heard that you intend to
me you must get your hand in your
pocket. The first motion you make in
that direction I'll fill you full of bull
let's and then go for your carcass with
these knives
SnelSOn then presented undoubted
evidence of the title of the Empire
Mining company to the property in lit
igation. Traphagan let the case go by
default, and the jury without leaving
their cracker boxes gave a verdict in
favor of the plaintiff.
But it was evident from the look on
Traphagan's face that the case had not
been settled between him and the ten
derfoot. AS soon as the verdict against
him had been recorded he said to the
latter:
81 don't want to kill gal, but l do
want to give you thrashing. I'll al
low any gent here to disarm me, and
We'll go out with nothin' but our fists
to find out which is the best man."
81 have no quarrel with you" replied
Snelson, ''but if you insist upon it I'll
accommodate YOU
Traphagan was relieved of his weap-
ons-there was one in each of his coat
pockets-and Snelson, leaving his lay
out on the barrel head, went outside
with his antagonist. Odds as high as
four to one were laid on Traphagan,
who was big and powerful. Snelsen's
muscles. on which there was nothing
but skin, did not show under his loose
shirt sleeve, while Traphagan's frame
was gigantic. The big man could not |
restrain his wrath, and no sooner was
the fight on than he strobe toward
Snelson for the purpose Of annihilating
him. But when he struck Snelson was
not there. Besides. before his antago-
mist could recover himself he received |
blow that put one eye out Of the |
combat. Then Traphagan brought his |
ponderous fist down on the tender
foot's shoulder, but Snelson ducked so
as to escape most of the weight of the
blow. His fist shot up against the
had mans nose and draw q plontifuI