The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-12-18
Raymond brown,
BLIND ATTORNEY
Story Of How He Has Gone to
Top Of His Profession
Despite Handicap.
LOST SIGHT IN CHILDHOOD
Studied Law at Harvard and Made
Great Record az covernhEnf
Prosecutor in New York-Aid.
ed by Marvellous Memory.
ev RICHARD sPlLLANE.

1v RICHARD SPjlLANE.
Copyright Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)
For weeks a jury In the United
States court In New York had been
trying one of the greatest fraud cases
in recent times. A group Of lawyers
of unusual ability represented the de-
PENDANT. The case was one of re-
markable complexity. The swindle
had been concealed with cleverness
that did credit to the master crook
who planned it. The lawyers for the
defense used every artifice to make
it appear that their client had done
no wrong. They befogged the issue,
harried the opposing witnesses. fought
against the admission Of various
forms of evidence and did everything
the trained men of the law do in the
cause of their clients.
Against the imposing group of law.
yers for the defense was smooth.
shaven, mild-looking assistant district
attorney. He never lost his temper.
never got excited, never used a
harsh word. Day after day he met
every attack and turned it aside. Day
after day he tore the veil of pretense
and exposed the fraud that was be.
hind it. Hundreds of documents had
been brought forward to prove the
points he made. Day books and ledg-
ers in which much complicated &C.
counts mad been kept had to be re.
ferred to many times. He never read
from the books or papers. but had one
of his associates do the reading. II
the associate had difficulty in finding
the particular entry referred to or
the particular thing desired in some
bit of correspondence, the young as
sistant district attorney told him the
number Of the paper or the date Of
the letter. On points of law he
seemed to be able to quote from oil
the authorities. When one Of his op-
ponents put wrong Interpretation on
any bit of evidence or a wrong con.
structton on any legal ruling the =.
sistant district attorney correcbd
el@I young
Hk Eyes Are sIshtless.
When It came to summing up, He
had no notes to guide him, but whit,
through all the maze Of that intricate
swindle, checking up one fraud Ind
another laying bare each slip khe
swindler made and exposing trkk
after trick in the elaborate system pf
bookkeeping the man employed. AID
all the while he kept before the jurors
the state Of mind Of the prisoner, til
intent behind all his acts. !
A man who had followed the can
from the beginning took q long breath
when the young assistant district a.
torney closed his speech. Z
Goodness! he exclaimed. Hes
a wonder! He must have read law %
few men read it."
He did," said a dry.looking man at
his side. HE never looked into a law
book In his life."
what do you mean?" demanded the
first man.
"Just what I say" responded the
dry one. Hes blind"
1t was true. The assistant United
States district attorney was Raymond
Brown. the sightless lawyer, who, al.
though not yet thirty years of age,
has represented the government In
some Of the most important criminal
trials In the last five years. A United
States judge Of wide reputation and
experience says this blind man IL
one Of the greatest lawyers he ever has
met
Became Blind In eoyhood.
Blindness is terrible affliction. but
some men and women have been
spurred to higher achievements
through the handicaps it entails.
Brown was born in Dover. N. H., Au.
gust q. 1885. He wasn't born blind.
Until he was eight years old he had
eyes az good as any boy. Then he
was stricken with one of those III.
nesses to which childhood is heir and
the light Of day was shut out from
him for all time. The lot of a blind
boy Is a sad one. He is cut of from
all the games that youth delights in
He Is robbed Of half the Joys Of liz.
ing.
Young Brown always had a desire
for learning. After he was stricken
blind his relatives and friends read n
him. He listened tntently. Late At
night, or when the house was silent
ne would strive to recall each and
every sentence that had been read to
MIN. At first he could only get a fev
sentences complete. but as the wear.
went on his memory became SO hieh.
~ developed that everything he
heard was recorded as securely "A y
the words had been written and mt
away In the safest Of places.
Somehow he got a liking for ~.
law. When the question Of = career
for him came to be considered ha
SAID ne wanted to he a ,.wvo, A.