The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1915-01-09
WON MS CASE BY
A CLEVER RUSE
Battle Of Wits Between Rivals
In Love.


ward Merritt, but she was practical
girl and realised that Drew's estab-
lishcd income was far preferable to
Meritt's prospects. Her father. Judge
Towle. had nothing but his salary. and
she bad ssen her mothers struggles to
bring up q family on small income.
Merritt. however. had an advantage in
being 4 bright young fellow and was
very popular.
One morning Judge Towie was in his
study getting ready to go to court
Florence was In the room reading the
morning paper. Clayton Merritt was
announced and. mentioning case hs
was to try before the Judge that morn
Ing. asked him some question ~ to the
law governing It After receiving the
desired information he left.
Now. at that time Douglas Drew had
Just been appointed the states attor-
ney. Florence knew this and asked
her father II Merritt and Drew would
not stand In this case a. prosecutoe
and defender. The Judge answered In
the Affirmative. and Florence resolved
to 70 to court and witness the trial.
The defendant accused Of embezsle-
ment was q young man whose intel
Isct, his mother testified. had been Inn
paired IN childhood BY severe case Of
scarlet fever. Merritt knew that hs
had been merely q catspaw Of others.
but they had covered their tracks 20
well that be had not q scrap Of
proof against them. A. the case
progressed It was plain that unless the
Jury could be Influenced sympathetic-
ally in the defendants favor he would
BE- convicted. But juries have been 20
often hoodwinked by pathetic appeals
that Merritt had no confidence Of sue
cess In this manner. He laid his plans
differently.
To prove one Of those formalities
that are Of NO importance In them
selves. through required by law. Merritt
forced the prosecution to put on the
stand q clerk Of the court and having
rot him thsse procssded to examine
him.
"Who attends to the details Of bust
ness Of the courtY' asked Merritt
II do"
consequently you decide many mat.
tss for the judges, do you ootf"
II do necessarily"
'Did you not recommend to his honor
u this case that bail b rsfussdf".
VI DID,
.And were you not present during .
discussion between his honor and
Judge B. coocsruing this matter Of
bailr'
J II was."
.Now. answer me on your oath. Did
you not hear his honor say that there
was NO case against my clientr'
Every one In court who had the
slightest knowledge Of law was aston
ished ut such q question which any
student In . law school would know
an attorney had no right to ask. The
prosecuting attorney jumped to his
feet and objected. But the Jury had
heard the question. and. though they
bad not heard the answer. they believ.
ed that the Judge must have made the
remark or the attorney for the defense
would not have thought Of asking the
witness to repeat It Merritt, seeing
that they had been Influenced. rested
bis case. The Jury retired and whea
Il returned brought In q verdict Of
mot guilty"
Al Florence Towle walked out Of the
courtroom she was Joined BY the rivals
for her favor.
Merritt" said Drew, why did you
AJAX such an unheard Of question -
whether the judge had expressed an
opinion on the casei"
\ "And why did you object1" asked
Merritt.
object! Because you had NO right
to ask such . question"
Certainly I had not And had you
rot objected my asking 1t. would have
been Of no avail You should have
waited for the answer. and 1t would
have been no. OF course his honor
never said any such thing"
The two men and the girl exchanged
slancea Drew looked ready to bite
OF bis tongue that had made the OBJ
lection. Merritt smiled complacently,
and Miss Towle burst out laughing
The prosecuting attorney returned to
the courtroom to attend to the next
case. while Merritt and Florence left
the building. and before they parted
Merritt had been invited to dine at the
Towle home the same evening.
''Give me your hand" said the judge
to Merritt when they met. you are
the nrst lawyer since have been ON
the bench who has had the impudencs
to attempt to prove that had express
ed an opinion In case to be tried be-
fore me-"
.And you saved an innocent per.
son." Florence put In. "for you know.
papa. Mr.. Merritt said that he knew his
client was not guilty"
n was sure to lose my case" replied
Merritt. unless could win It BY a
russ. was in an agony Of dread lest
the prosecuting attorney should per
init the witness to answer."