The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-17
Mr.. Lincoln S
Defense Of a Client
BY F. A. Mitchell

III 1893, two years before he was
elected TO the highest office in the gift
OF the people of the United States.
Abraham Lincoln was attending court
AT Beardstown, Ill. One day he was
approached by a poor woman, evidently
IN great distress, who said to him:
Mr.. Lincoln, my son is about to be
Tried Tor his life. 1t looks as though
ne was guilty of murder, but he isn't.
III can't find some lawyer who is capa-
Die or putting his case in favorable
light I'm afraid he is doomed"
This appeal, preliminary to many 9th.
ers from mothers TO save their sons
when Mr.. Lincoln was called upon to
sign death warrants of convicted sol
dlers, was sure Of effect on the tender
hearted Lincoln. lie consented at once
and began 10 familiarize himself with
the case
In August of the previous year Viii
liam Armstrong, who lived at Peters
burg, ILL.,. joined crowd of ruillans
near camp meeting in Mcnard coun
ty while drunk and got into fight
with man named Mtzkcr Later on
the same day Mitzkcr was hit with
an on yoke toy another drunken man
named Morris Three days later Mtz.
ker died. Both Armstrong and Morris
were arrested and charged with muir
der. Marks of two blows we're found
on Mtizker'S dead body. either Of which
might have caused his death Ii was
proved couclu>ivrly that Morris struck
one Of these blows. lie was tried. CON
victcd and sentenced 10 serve eight
years in the pcnitcntiary
Then came the trial of Armstrong
for having struck the other blow. He
claimed te have fought with nothing
hut his fists. hut both the marks on
Mitzkcr'S body had I'M ouhtcdly been
made 10y weapon of some kind. The
luhl.c was of the opinion that both
Morris and Armstrong were guilty Of
murder.
II was Armstrong for whom the ap-
pcal-was made 10 MIR. Lincoln 10y the
ae'Sal ttaa #aae Mr. Lincoln AT
orr roIt '1 tire attorneys Who had
hcru selected for the dcicu~c aud ask
od tum il Hc mjefG hc permitted to
asst tbea rhcy consented and Mr.
ft u..s. nnc1 har4e uf it,
lhN"' Wa- -HN w.tnes for the prose
cn'i.r who claimed that Lr had seen
AtH.-.ros4 d,al tHr fatal blow
t.,a 'ar were yon from the
tH IaH 'r yoa saw armstrong
strike Mitz&ert" asked Alr Lincoln
"AhoW fuy IrG was standing
on ground higher than that on which
they ~toad ann l"oie1 down "a them. ''
"Wps he ui4ht dark or lightt"
1T was ycre light
Any moont"
"Yc- The moon was shining very
bright, almost as bright as day.
about how high was the moon
above the horizon:
About as h2h as the sun at III
O'Clock in the morning"
Are you certain there was a mooni''
. Positive
Are you sure YOU are not mistaken
about the moon shining as you have
. saidt'
. Il am not mistaken"
! "Did you see Armstrong strike
5 Mitzl,cr and Mitzker fall by the light
, OF the moan
i II did
What did Armstrong strike him
with"
e a slun@shot"
Where did he strike MitzkerT'
} ION the side of the head
! at what time Of night did you say
J Armstrong struck MitzkerE'
e about Ia O'clock
. II was now the prosecuting attorneys
. turn to take the ease. aud on this dam
e aging evidence be asked for "A convic
ton. Indeed it did not appear that tht
| jury could bring in any verdict than
/ Of guilty But before the Judge woult
@ charge them il was Mr. I.incolns priv
{ ncge to make the closing argument
! He rose to speak with q little pam
D phlct Ia his hand.
& He reviewed the testimony, dwellin.
infinitely on that of the witness VIII,
had seen The prisoner strike the fata
i blow. Then be- opened the pamphlet.
II would ask permission of th'
court" hc said. "to Introduce as evi
j. deucc bearing ou the case this ALMANAC
covering the period al which blitzkel
p met his death II shows concluSivell
r that al the hoIr when the witness say
he saw the prisoner 10y the light of th'
: moon no moon Shoue"
= Mr. Lincoln. his strong sympathetic
r nature moved by the appeal Of tbs
, prisoners mother. then made one o.
r the most forceful appeals ever mad'
r IN courtroom He still had much Z
do 10 save his client for there wa
other evidence against Armstrong be
sides that Of the man who had seen by
moonlight when there was no moon
But Mr. Lincoln was equal to the oc
, caSion. The jury were out i've hours
6ut when they returned il was Will
a verdict Of not guilty.
~, II ~ -r1gr1 at hand Of the