The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-21
Peter Gregory of Usage County
Surprises Topeka Attorneys.
Gives His Impressions of s'The
American Lawyer"
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
A. S. Van Valkenberg of Missouri
Guest Of Honor.
Judge West Has Fun With the
Speakers Introducing Them.

Leather lunged Pete Gregory, Of
Lyndon, who was not on the program
and just happened to come to town,
was the sensation at Wednesday nights
annual feed and talkfest of the Topeka
Bar association. IN company with
Gregory were Judge G. H. Whitcomb,
Judge J. S. West and Capt. ]. G. Wa
tiers who almost upset the meeting with
their clever tales of the legal battle
field
There were fewer than 100 lawyers at
the banquet tables. 1t was a disagree
able night and those who went to the
Elks' club were entertained in a way
E1hat has seldom been .eclipsed by the
Topeka bar Every speaker was given
a strong, hearty start by Judge West,
who presided as POSTMASTER. West ex-
hibited u happy faculty of mixing the
speakers private or official record up
with the local and state wide affairs.
Once, when Judge A. S. VanValken-
FDerg. of the federal court, arose to talk,
fhe was all but SWamped by the intro
duction of himself and his court as a
stranger in strange land, subject to
the islns and whims of Governor
Stubs assistant, John Dawson.
Judge Whitcomb was offered as Elk
hibIt A. He was paraded by the toast
master as the only man who ever re-
celved unanimous endorsement for an
appointment and could still collect all
Judge had gone through the ups and
downs of the Cooper trial and could
respond to his toast, THE Trials of a
Trial Judge"
The Troubles of the Judge.
The new judge dragged the courts
troubles 20 the door of the supreme
court. He told how the trial Judge
worried and fretted, and often guessed
what the supreme court would think
of his view of the matter when the
Ia Irf
Having been bound and gagged, so
to speak" said the new court judge
1t looks as if we would not be ex-
pecred to do much afterwards. If you
think so, you are not familiar with the
law When it comes to the motion
for a new trial. the shackles are re-
moved and the sleeper wakes. The trial
judge once more assumes an erect pO-
sition and he is now required to say
at his peril-whether he acted like a
sane and sensible being when he let
that case slip by him to the jury, or
whether he was just a plain, common
idiot He now takes a look at him
self and his former conduct with a
somewhat sheepish grin. He says to
himself that the right of trial by jury
must be Kept 1nY1olate at any cost, that
he was clearly wrong in doing what he
couldn't help doing ard, not approving
the verdict of the jury in any respect,
he follows the mandate imposed on
him by tho higher court, grants a new
trial and proceeds to do the same thing
over again.
The trial judge having put himself
in that condition of mental vacuity,
which we have seen is highly des,r-
able, if not essential, the lawyers in
the case having presented the law and
tile facts with the sole purpose of hav-
ing justice done-if it can be done |
their way-and the juGge being ready |
to decide the case with unerring sa- |
gacity, the horrible thought suddenly |
strikes him. what will the supreme /
court think about this2 Or, at least |
what will they think they think about /
Or, worst of all, what viii they think /
think they think when it gets up
there?
1T is easy to see what happens=the |
wheels of justice stop turning altogeth- /
er. The arm. not to mention the mind /
that time-the mind of the court be- !
comes affected by gallOping paralysis, /
or jumps its job as the case may be. /
Such are a few of the rough places of /
the trial Judge"
Judge Van Valkenberg Speaks.
Judge Van valkenberg Of the west
ern district of Missouri was introduced /
as one of the few men who didn't fear |
election, action of the county board, |
can open court with prayer, knows his /
pay viii continue through all time and |
that even while stopping in Kansas is
certain that the red haired governor,
with the help of his assistant, the at
forney general, can not jar him loose
from his job.
In a short extemporaneous talk, the
Missouri federal jurist declared that it /
took nerve to come to Kansas to try
a lawsuit Further than this, he said /
he had encountered a knotty problem