Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-24


session. The place crowded; for there to be a
murder trial that day. The congressional candidate,
unnoced stepped inside and sat by the door in the last
of seats
1t was a crude interior of white walls, of implanted
woodwork of pine floors and wooden benches. The
Franklin that heated in winter stood there yet
its open mouth showing ashes of the last March fire.
Its yards OF soveplpe zgzag overhead. The new
glanced about if familiar with the type. A
larceny being tried. The man listened, and
seemed to study lawyers and Judge He was interested
in the comments of the people near him. The case
being ended, another called. man to be tried
this time for assault. The stranger in the back seat
missed word This too came to a close The
District Attorney and moved the trial of John
Wilson for murder
THERE was stir through the courtroom; people
turned their benches and faced toward the front
door, the entrance. In the doorway appeared the
Sheriff, leading boy of fifteen dressed in poor, home
made Clothes with conspicuous bright head of golden
hair. He pale, desperately frightened; his eyes
gazed the floor Through the packed crowd the
Sheriff brought this shrinking, hating creature till he
stood before the Judge inside the bar The Judge faced
the criminal, and there pause 1t seemed to the
stranger watching from his seat by the door that the
Judge was steadylng himself against pltiful sight
At length "Have you cOunsel?' the Judge demanded.
A shudder shook the slim shoulders; there no
other
manner. "Have you lawyer he asked.
The lads lips moved before heard anything; then
he brought out, 81 dun'no-what that is"
"a lawyer is a man to that you get your rights.
Have you a lawyer?'
The lad shook his unkempt yellow head. mo. 1
hant gOt-mOney-tO pay"
"DO wish the court to assign you COUNSEL" The
Judge unconscious that the familiar terms
unknown tongue to the lad gasping before him. With
that, through the stiffness came sound OF boot that
scraped the floor. The in the back seat rose,
sOuched forward, stood before the Judge
"May it please your Honor, he said, Il am lawyer.
l should be glad to act counsel for the defense
The Judge looked at him. There something
common in this loose-hung figure towering inches above
six feet there power. The Judge looked at him.
What is your name! he asked.
abraham Lincoln"
A tall, gaunt man in common clothes gave his
Frontier farmers and backwoodsnen in homespun jeans
with buckskn breeches most in their shirt sleeves
women in sunbonnets, sat about and listened. Nobody
Nobody dreamed that the spoken and
heard to fill one of the great places in history
The Judge, who had learned to classify humanity
Bit alone placed the outside the procession of
the average. Moreover he had heard of him. IL know
your name, Mr. Lincoln. l shall be glad to assign you
to defend the prisoner, he answered.
THE jury was drawn Man after man they came I'M
der the scrutiny of the deep eyes under the
hanging brOws,-eyeS KEEN dreamy, sad humorous, s.
after man, those eyes of LlncOns sought out the
character of each But he challenged no The Dis
trct Attorney examined each; the lawyer for the de-
Tense examined none he accepted them all The hard
faced audience began to glance at him impatieny. The
feeling against the prisoner yet they wished to
fight made for him. they wanted play of swords
There excitement in looking at who sat
still in his chair.
The District Attorney opened the for the people
he told with lew words the story OF the murder L he
prisoner had worked the farm of one Amos Berry in
the autumn before. in 1915 On this farm Irish
man, Shaugnessy by name He amused himself by
rying the boy and the boy hate him. He kept
out of his way; yet the older continued to worry
him. On October % the boy to drive wagon of
hay to the next farm At the gate of the barnyard he
met Shaugnessy with Berry and two other The
boy asked Berry to the gate and Berry about
to do it when Shaugnessy spoke The boy lazy, he
said let him get down and open the gate himself Berry
hestated, laughing at Shaugnessy, and the Irishman
caught the pitchfork the lad held and pricked him
with it, and ordered him to get down. The lad