Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-19
"Henrico, don't put this thing in

"Henrico, don't put this thing
the paper. Mr.. Morris has got tw
daughters in Converse college tha
graduate next year; his people stan
WELL" "I says, now you can't pub
lish anything like that" I says, "Gu
isn't convicted yet, and I don't thin
he will be. I says you better g
slow, because IL they turn him loose
you have done him a great injustice.
He says, "All right, Mr.. Nichols,
won't put 1t in, II you think that"
says, II think that's best; don't tax
snapjudgment until they prove hin
guilty. So Hannah, the editor, calle,
me up and told me he was going +
put It in. I says, "All right, Hannah
If you're going to put 1t in, it's al
right; Henrico told you what I tol,
him about it?" He says, Yes" We'll
says, 'T want to tell you this, 1
you put that thing in. II Guys con
victed, you'll never hear anythinl
further about It, but II you put 1t II
and he's not convicted, he'll beat hel
out Of you" Well, we went aheat
the jury acquitted him In about tel
minutes. Guy came up to the office
says. well, Sam, want you to. 81
up to the race track with me-" "Wha
i III BOlll6 " ISoS hOii oee W
that editor" and 1 says, "all right. II
help you do IT." so we went up ant
Guy got a raw hide whipe, and HI
caught him on the race track anc
whipped him like you'd whip q dog
lows as that Morris told me he went
home and says his wife told him I'll
you don't whip that cur I'll never
live with you again." A fellow named
Holland (?) who runs the paper with
him, pulled his gun, and pulled my
gun and told him, "you keep away
don't you mix in with this thing"
Mr.. Porter :. Well, we all make mis-
takes, you know, every one knows
without instruction what's right and
wrong.
Mr.. Nichols: About this thing-how
in the world did you happen to come
to my office?
Mr. Porter: Well, couldn't go any
where else, could I?
Mr.. Nichols: Well, yes, I'll tell you
why / asked you that question. If
things had developed as they have de-
veloped-if you knew about conditions
down here, I wouldn't be surprised;
wouldn't think anything Of 1t, but not
knowing about things and since you
came here as stranger without know
ing anything except you wanted to see
q lawyer, I couldn't think how you
came to come to me.
Mr.. Porter: I have always made II
a point never to do anything unless
know all about the thing. I have al
ways had II pounded into me, always
to get the best, and so made my in
quiries with this end In view; and as ]
was going to your office asked the
cab driver how about Mr.. Nichols, is
he a good lawyer? And when he told
me, "yes, sir, the best in the state" OF
course I felt satisfied.
Mr.. Nichols: II you want q lawyer
in San Francisco or Chicago, they have
a sign out, and you can take whoever
you want, it's different, where people
Just want q lawyer; but there are 9TH
er firms you could have gone to In
Spartanburg, that absolutely control
the business, and the business that the
other firms get Is just an accident.
Evans, though, couldn't have done you
much good. and any Of them If they
have to get a man out Of the peniten-
tiary, they say, you go and associate
Sam Nichols now. and we'll help you"
and that's the reason asked you how
you happened to come to me. Those
people ought to pay you q nice fee;
you could have gone to any Of the 9TH
er of those fellows that I mention,
they are the best people here, but they
are civil lawyers: they hardly ever go
into the criminal court; in four years
practice there has never been but three
capital cases tried that I wasn't asso-
ciated in.
Down to Business.
Mr.. Porter: ! don't want to lose any
time or money on this thing; let's get
through as quick as we can and get
II off our hands. AS II Is matter that
can be adjusted very quickly
and without very much trouble, ! prob
ably won't think Of the matter again
until I see you.
Mr.. Nichols: II take this PROPOSE
tion up for you. I'm going to get up a
petition and I'll have about sixteen and
have them copied, and I'm going to
give them to Sims, to go get up these
petitions; he'll get them up. II we start
ed this proposition and had to quit
my business and go around and get
them signed, I'd tell you couldn't do
1t, but he'll quit his business and go
around and get them signed.
Mr.. Porter: I met him on the street
accidentally. I never take anybody's g
time up unless I intend to do business.
Mr.. Nichols: Father has often talked
to me about Sims. I says, Father,
I've got Sims sized up better than you
have; II Sims could have started out
on the same plane I started out on, he
never would have done a crooked thing
but he had a wife and family, and
started out in the practice Of law with
out anything to support them, and ne
resored to hings hat he wouldn't
otherwise have done-drivn by neces-
sity to do things that he wouldn't
otherwise do" If you want to get this
man out-if those people want him out,
we can get him out, and when / say
I'VE" I mean that don't mean Sam
Nichols. / want you to 90 to those
people and say-see here, you're not
working for your health, are you?
Mr.. Porter: No, no, my own health
Is good, thank you.
Mr.. Nichols: You can say, Il have
got the key to the situation, we can
get this man out" and I want you to
say to them that swear to you no one
else can do It; II they are willing to
pay what it's worth to get him out, we
can get him out. In other words, you
have got the key to the situation, that's
the proposition exactly. You control
the key to the situation, because no
body else can come to me and get him
out, and without me they can't get him
out. I don't give a damn IL they have
got a million dollars, they can't do 1t,
and they can thank you for tt don't
want the credit up there, I want you
to take the credit up there; when you
go back to those people up there, say
to them, I'll represent you If you are
willing to pay me a fee that's reason
able in this matter; can do you some
good; II you are not willing to pay me
that fee, get somebody else, and you
won't get him out" Here's the propo-
sition, Mr.. Porter-as / understand
you, unless he's out he don't inherit, Is
that true
Mr.. Porter: That's true absolutely.
Mr.. Nichols Now, there's the prop
osition in a nutshell. / know this, I'll
tell you frankly, II Cole Blease would
write me letter and ask me II ne
should be turned out-which he Will
been convicted like that,
and If you are not interested In the
proposition, I'll tell him no, and would
not turn him out, and he won't get out,
and I know this that we can get him
out,-that amt Scotch, that amt
Scotch talking, that's straight goods.
Mr.. Porter: Your statement, of
course, goes a long ways with me.
Mr.. Nichols: l won't guarantee that
can get him out before the election
7 think I can, but / don't guarantee