The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-01-15

up Carson.
Hold on! 1 haven't told You the
worst yet" continued the fat man.
Two years ago when l was down in
a scrag town in Oklahoma l was ar
rested for riding Il bicycle on the side
walk, and the justice before whom I
was hauled vas my friend Of the
blanelcss past. Well. sirs, he fined
me SO without the faltering Of an
cyelid. and l believe if l hadn't paid
the fine and left town instanter he'd
had me in Jail for six months! That's
what l call professional courtesy.
What were you going to say. Carson"
There was an audible litter at the
question. but the little bore lost no
time in grasping his opportunity.
II was going to tell you about a case
| had involving professional cour-
tesy"- he began hurriedly.
by Jove, that reminds me" burst in
another lawyer. lone time when L.
was p%racticing out in Montana
EXCUSE me- interrupted Carson in
d%ignantly.
"Certainly. old man; don't mention
it," continued the tormentor. "Ill OK
cuse you any time, but want the 9TH
or fellows to hear this yarn. and it's
no yarn either. but Il true bill from
Montana. where no liars are at large.
Well. as l was saying, when / was
practicing out there the state prosecu.
tor and the defendants counsel in Il
murder trial We're opposition candi-
dates for congress-, and in the middle
of the case the prosecutor saw that
the evidence was going against him
and that an acquittal would be mighty
popular. So he ups and requests the
dismissal Of the Indictment and the
discharge Of the prisoner, knowing
that the same would reflect great cred
it on himself and knock the wind out
OF his opponent. But the other fellow
was on to the game, and. with a sur
case. he hadn't any notion Of letting
his adversary VIII out on IL mag
unanimous bluff of that sort. So he
rears up on his hind legs and fights to
have the case submitted to the jury.
claiming his client was entitled to an
acquittal at the hands Of his peers and
nothing less than this would satisfy
him. and finally the judge decided to
allow the innocent gent to be exoner-
ated by the jurors and submitted the
case to them. Well, sirs, that jury
stayed out bout fifteen seconds and
then brought in a verdict Of guilty"
You say that happened in Mon
tana!' asked a late conner, joining I'm
the general laugh.
Yes. sir" was the serious answer.
We'll. | wouldn't believe it if you'd
located it twice as far away remark
ed the uu%estioner. as he took a chair
which the clerk offered him and sat
Gown beside me. Would you? he in
CURED smilingly as he offered me a
cigar.
Il don't KNOW I answered, as some
one started another story. Can a
prosecutor dismiss Il case if he thinks
the prisoner innocent?'
''Of course" answered my n%eighbor.
"lf he couldn't he might have to con-
tinue prosecuting a man whom he be-
lieved innocent. That would be hor.
rihlc. BY the way. I want to intro
duce myself, Mr.. Lambert. I am Abel
Corning, one of Mr.. Gilbert's assist
ants"
I glanced with interest at the speak
cr's face, which bore Il certain resent
blancc to Hunts; but, though there
was no installing the two %personali-
| ties. there was enough to Justify Hunts
| subterfuge. Now. if / denounced the
unknown emissary who travelled IN
der the name of Abel Corning and
could produce no one but the real Abel
Corning to answer the description,
who would be most involved. the prose-
cutor or his opponent: Hunt had
more than risen to the emergency. He
had surmounted it.
II am very glad to meet you, Mr..
Corning,' l responded. "Do you hap
added after a pause.
"Hunt:' he repeated. NO, | never
heard of him. Why do you ask"
Merely BECAUSE l began. hut al
lowed myself to be interrupted as Car
son piped up:
II had Il case like that once
There were but few spectators in the
courtroom when we filed into the jury
box on the second morning Of the
trial, and Bayne confessed that he had
heard rumors Of an adjournment the
previous evening. Others had heard
the same thing, and it was the general
opinion of the jurors that the public
had received definite information OF
some hitch in the proceedings and we
would be dismissed for the day as soon
AS court opened. All doubt OF the
matter was dispclled, however, when
Judge Dudley assembled the bench and
Il young attorney whom l had not pre-.
viously noticed rose and requested m
adjournment owing to the sudden i'll
ness of Mr.. Ferris Barstow, counsel fO,
the defense.