The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-17

the somewhat unusual cognomen of Clar- ence Ketchem. As his hair Is the color of an Italian sunset it is the most natural thing in the world that his classic given name is passed pp by his chums and comrades, and that he Is known by the name that stands for boy all over, Red. 1t is doubtful outside of his family If his other name is known.
 He is quite a remarkable little fellow and bright as the proverbial new dollar. For one so youthful he plays q remark able game of checkers. He Is a favorite with the firemen of the city and can hold his own in game with the best of the best players among the fire laddies who are widely known as experts of the game. Red" lives with his widowed mother. goes to school and sells papers, and unlike most boys of his age puts in the balance of his time in the pursuit of knowledge in order to prepare himself for his future studies for Red has fully decided that there is only one profession in the world for him and that is law
 He is a great admirer of Judge H. E. Abernethy and frequents his court daily, and that unique and able jurfst has taken quite a fancy to him, so much so that he encourages Red In his laudable ann bition and is willing to answer the many questions. many of them pertinent, that he asks about the cases at bar.
 The other day Judge "Ab'' had a case in which a negro was charged with kid napng. The negro was without counsel and with the consent of the good-natured lawyer who had been employed to prose- cute the case appointed Red" to defend the negro The little rascal accepted the appointment with the glee of boy who has been chosen captain of q back alley nine.
 Now Red" had frequently noticed that 1t was the custom of many of the at torneys engaged in the trial of cases to fnterpose objections to almost every and all questions propounded by opposing counsel. This decided his course of ac- ton in the case at bar. He objected to the questions coming and going, he like wise objected to the answers. While his objections were oyerruled many times 1t didn't lease him 6 bit. He objected to the prosecuting witness giving his name on the grounds that it had not been shown to the court the witness had ever been baptized. and if so, as to whether he had been sprinlSled or immersed He ob- Jected to the counsel using Latin phrases in his argument stating that Latin was a dead language and was inadmssa be on the grounds that corpus delicti'' had not been proven. As an objector Red" was all to the merry.
 Red made a great argument to thu court. He even used that good old standby, Tn all my experience in the practice of law I have never seen a case where the state has failed so utterly to make out a case as the one at issue" Whenever he got stuck for a word he said: May it please the court" which after numberless repetitions he changed tc if your honor pleases" He closed with peroration in which he compli- mented the court on Its reputation for justice and right and asked that the da feEdant be discharged
 And the defendant was discharged As Red realized that he had won his case smile o'erspread his freckled coun- tenance. Then the smile busted" and he chuekled loud and deep. He was the proudest kid in the United States and the island territory included.