Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-06-25
THE EVENING STORY
HIS FIRST CASE.
BY Donald Allen.

BY Donald Allen.
Copyright, 1910, by Associated Liter
airy Press.
Mr.. Paul Franklin has passed his
examination and become a member of
the bar. Not that he intended to
hang out shingle and become a
practicing lawyer, but more to oblige
the good old aunt who had brought
him up and sent him through college
and had often said:
You will have the estate to man
age during my life, and when am
gone you will have to manage it for
yourself One should be lawyer to
do these things"
Within a week after Paul had been
granted legal right to add "Attor-
ney at Law after his name, the old
papers over to the young man, said:
There is one matter l wish to call
your particular attention to. The
estate owns Lake Placid. stocked
1t with choice fish several years ago
and put up many signs of mo Tres
pass" Those signs have been gen
orally respected, but last summer one
particular person, having a camp a
short distance away, PERSISTED in fish
ing in spite of all protests. have
just received word that the same per-
son Is back there for the summer and
is fishing again. Our man there
thinks an example ought to be made.
He says that when he made protest
this person told him to go to grass"
"A very nervy person." remarked
the young lawyer.
Truly so. / thirl you should
write to the agent there to take out
a warrant, make an Arrest and bring
the case to trial You can go up
there and appear for yourself and
make it your first case The justice
is bound to find verdict for you and
impose smart fine, and that will de-
ter other campers from trespassing."
II don't want to get the reputation
of being arbitrary and mean," said
Paul
"But people must respect the law"
put in the aunt as she came into the
discussion. IF the laws can't be
enforced what will become of US?
People have no more right to catch
my fish than to catch my chickens
1t is my desire, Paul, that you take
up this case. Those people who come
out from the city to camp for the sum-
mer are a very reckless lot. They
don't pay the slightest attention to
signs What they need is a good
scare.
Lake Placid was three miles from
the manor house. on another piece of
land. It was favorite place for SUM
mer camping, and there we're no re-
strictions except as to the fishing.
It had been stocked with carp as fad
Of the aunt. Word was dispatched to
the man who acted as watchdog. and
in two or three days subsequently he
reported that a summons had been is
sued for the guilty and defiant party
and he named the date when the trial
was to come off before the justice Of
the peace in the village.
Mr.. Attorney Franklin drew men
tai picture of bearded ruffian with
a political pull who was setting coun-
try law at defiance and denuding Lake
Placid Of its carp in spite of all signs
and protests, and he at once looked up
the law on trespass and made him
self familiar with it. When he had
learned all about it, he invented
plea to the jury.
Of course, the defendant would call
for one. He went out to the orchard
and repeated his plea over and over
again. 1t was strong. 1t was logical.
1t was convincing. it wound up by
saying that If beetle-browed ami black
bearded ruffians could steal an old
.lady's carp and not suffer the con-