The Washington herald., 1912-01-04

John T. Raker, Of California, is the
mildest-appearing man In Congress.
And
John z. Raker has been In more fights
than anybody in Congress.
That's just II. Why should he? Why
should a mild man always be getting
into fights? Simply because the fates
placed him where lighting was the au
fait thing. II he had started to practice
law in a community made up Of Al
phonses and Gassons. where everybody
talked politely and wore wristIets and
went to afternoon teas, the chances are
that he woull have engaged in few
fights. But in Modoc County. Cal. things
were different. And John Z. Raker al
ways managed to happen along just
when occasion arose for mortal combat
He has been called the fighting Judge
OF the Modocs. That. however. Is a mis-
nomer. for ne has been in no ights since
he became q judge. They happened when
he was practicing law. Most Of his
fights have occurred In court rooms.
When he wasn't giving his life blood to
some cause. ne was getting sent TO jaIl
for contempt of court II he were late
getting home to dinner in the evening
Mrs Ralxer never knew whether to call
up the jail or the morgue.
An ugly scar extends clear across one
side OF Raker's face. That represents
merely one OF a great many courtroom
episodes. It Is a wonder that his face
isn't as full of scars as an old-fashioned
crazy quilt Of seams.
Several friends came to Raker one
morning as he was about to start for
the courthouse to try a case in which
he and the opposing counsel weren't on
speaking terms.
There's a plan on foot" his friends
told him. ito insult you and get you
to start something and then they're go-
ing TO put you out of business-in self
defense, you understand"
Sure enough, the other attorney said
something that made RalSer forget the
warning and start across the table where
upon the other fellow slashed at his face
with a pocket knife. Raker' got a cash
that extended the line OF his mouth clear
back to his left shoulder blade His
OF those big folding charts that doctors
have In their ofices.
Raker moved to California from ILL.,
noIs at the age of eleven. The day he
started to school several larger boys
began to poster him with paper wads.
He picked up the first thing that came
handy, which happened to be a piece OF
cord wood, and made his presence felt.
Two OF the boys he knocked down with
the piece of cord wood were among
Raker's chief aids in his campaign for
Congress.
In the trial of the FIRST case he ever
had in Modoc County. the lawyer across
the table picked up chair and started
to hit Raker over the head with II In
an altogether harassing manner. Ral<er
reached for something in his annoy
anee, and the thing he reached for
chanced to. be a big corn cutter that
a witness had laid on the table. With
that he disarmed his adversary, and the
trial proceeded until Raker had won it.
Raker made a speciality OF defending
men charged with all sorts of heinous
crimes. including a bunch of supposed
lynchers. and practically every one he
defended went free. The folks in Mo-
doc County became greatly peeved
over the fact that the jails and prisons
seemed destined to lie idle
II everybody was going to hire young
Raker as attorney for the defense. In
response to public feeling the judges
leaned toward the prosecution all they
could. in the hope OF getting one OF
Raker's clients convicted once in