The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1932-11-14

of a large sugar laden ship that
came from a yellow fever port.
/ The vessel was quarantined and no
one allowed to leave the ship or to
board her. A survey of her hull
showed she was not damaged and
could continue on her voyage with
out repairs. Mr.. Geo. Bovine Pat
terson, that great lawyer and ex-
emplary citizen, represented the
master. In order that the ship
might get away as soon as possible
we obtained permission from the
quarantine officer to go alongside
in dinghy and take the captains
testimony. 1t was a queer sight;
! the master standing on Jacobs
ladder over the side of the vessel;
/ Mr.. Patterson, myself and a scriv-
ener in small boat alongside, For
an hour or more we examined the
captain, and his testimony was TAX
en- down. We stipulated that he
need not sign the deposition, as his
! hand might have yellow fever
germ on it, which might be trans
'ferred to the paper and thus COM
municated to some person ashore.
We knew nothing about the mos
quito theory then.
! | may mention in passing that
Captain Enoch Baker was the
wrecking master of this ship. At
! that time he was young and de-
bonaire and officiated at many a
wreck as master wrecker. Today
| Captain Baker, the victim of a
paralytic stroke thirty-odd years
ago, shuffles along the streets, on
legs that wabble and can hardly
support him, trundling peddler's
cart with his one good arm, the
other hanging useless by his side,
selling vegetables that he raises in
his little backyard. One would
never believe that this broken,
wrecked bit of humanity. once
could jump from a dinghy in a
rough sea, to rope ladder on the
side of a ship, and with springing
gait go over her side and take
| charge of salvage operations.
Change In the Character
Of Practice
The practice of law in Key West
in the old days was almost entire
ly on the admiralty side of the
court; salvage cases comprising the
large majority. There has not
been one tried in twenty years or
more.
The fees in salvage cases were
large and made the practice very
lucrative. Practically everybody
/ of property and means in Key
West was interested in salvage
either as vessel owner, master,
commission merchant, warehouse
man or wharfinger, and it was to
these that the attorneys looked for
fat fees in admiralty. Lawyers
rarely, if ever, charged for ser
vices rendered in the state courts.
Why charge man $50 oil. 500 for
case in the state court, or SIS or
! $40 for drawing deed, q mort
gage, a contract or a will, when the
next day he might be in posi-
ton to give you a salvage case with
! fee ranging from $500 to ST.
600?
1t took many years for the peo-
/ pie Of Key West to become accns-
toned to paying litigation in the
state court, or for office work.
Mr.. Mallory
| Key West, with population of
three thousand, had more lawyers
than we have today. And they
were men of great ability. The.
leader of the bar was Stephen R.
Mallory, the elder, who became U.
s. Senator, was chairman Of the
Senate Naval Committee and Sec
rotary of the Navy of the South
ern Confederacy.
Joseph Beverly Browne
| MY father, Joseph Beverly
Browne, was connected with this
court for over twenty-three years.
First as u. 8. Marshall and then
as Clerk of this Court until Judge
William Marvin resigned in 1868.
| He told me this ancedote. which
has been helpful to me in my thir-
ty-six years of practice.
A canny Sea Captain
A salvage case was being tried
| in which Mr.. Mallory represented
the salvors and Mr.. Hackley, the
respondent. II was an English
ship and the captain was sitting
by my father during the trial. Mr.
Mallory was suave and courteous.
Mr.. HaekIey was lawyer of fine
ability and character. but crimon-
ious and contentious. When q
question arose in which the court
seemed not 70 favor Mr.. Mallory's
views, the latter would yield cheer
fully and gracefully, but in the
same situation Mr.. Hackley would
contend and argue with the court.
The old sea-captain knew nothing
about law, but he had sailed al
over the world. had come In con-
tact with men of ali nations and
was a judge Of human nature. He
| leaned over to my father and said
in q whisper, MY lawyer does not
seem 10 have that certain piiabfIi-