Evening star., 1944-02-22
Legends Surround
Miller, Friend Of
Political Leaders
Nomesoke Of IneersoI|,
Lawyer Imitoted
His Flowing Prose

'ssSaSS
His Flowing Prose
Legends, many of them carried on
by the man himself, have grown
up around Robert I. Miller, now held
in the street-corner shooting Of DR.
John E. Lind.
A one-time stable boy, Miller rose
to become the friend OF ranking DO
litical figures. With his shock OF
white hair, his full-grown white
moustache, his broad -brimmed hat
and his courtly manner Miller was
the most picturesque Of the Fifth
street lawyers"-as the ATTORNEYS
specializing in criminal practice are
called.
Namesake OF Robert Ingersoll, he
tried to match Ingersolls flowing
prose style and was given to making
long, impassioned pleas in the most
insignificant cases.
Disbarment Effort Failed.
Although he once was quoted
as saying he would never again de-
fend a naval officer because they
are too truthful-that was after
he lost case during the World
War-the one effort to disbar Miller
failed. He was judged not guilty
of the chargts against him In 1888
by jury of Police Court judges.
In MilIer's last case before leaving
for Florida three weeks ago, Judge
Almond w. Scott imposed a $3.50
flne, but when the attorney objected
that the fine was too high, the court
reduced 1t to 500.
Thank you, your honor" Miller
said. Now I'll be able to take q
drawing room to Florida"
Friends at the courthouse today
recalled that Miller wore on his
watch fob Masonic emblem on one
side and a green shamrock on the
other. He would size up a client
and turn outward the appropriate
symbol.
Carried Lucky Money"
He also carried on him lucky
money" which he said was given to
him by some gypsy clients. Always
one for the magnificent gesture, he
would carry a $1,000 bill in his
pocket and take it out to wipe his
glasses.
Miller figured in the fastest dis
position of homicide case In Dis
trict history. Last spring he repre-
sented a colored man who shot and
killed his brother-in-l law in a family
quarrel. The man claimed self
defense. The Staying occurred about
9 am. The coroner's inquest was
held at 1890 pm. the same day
and verdict Of justifiable homicide
returned at l pm, four hours after
the shooting.
In another case last year, Miller
represented a colored defendant
charged with driving while drunk.
Things looked bad for the defend
ant after police testified they found
him in a wrecked car. reeking with
whisky.
Miller, however, remained unper-
turbed. He confided to court at
taches that his client would be
acquitted by taking the stand and
telling the plain truth" When
the defendant took the stand he
testified that an armed holdup man
accosted him on the street and
forced him to drink a pint of whisky
at the point of a. gun After that,
the, defendant related, his mind
went blank. The jury deliberated
five minutes and acquitted him.
Represented Dwarf.
Miller once represented a 4-foot
defendant on a traffic charge.
When the dwarf was acquitted, he
offered Miller a fee. Miller refused
to take the money. but the dwarf
was insistent. Finally, Miller con-
sented to take for his fee an 1920
10-cent piece.
Fond of horses from his. stable
boy days, Miller was a familiar
figure at Maryland race tracks and
owned several horses Of his own,
of which the best known was Not
Guilty He named another horse
Paulina L. after the late Speaker
Nicholas Longworth's daughter.
The late Vice President Charles
Curtis was among his close friends.
Mr.. Curtis sometimes accompanied
Miller to races at the Maryland
tracks and the pair went in style
behind police escort.
According to Miller's partner,
Joseph A. McMenamin, Miller was
a delegate to the Republican ma
tional conventions in 1912 and 1916.
Later. however, he became Roose-
velt man and claimed to be the
originator Of the Republicans for
Roosevelt" movement in 1886.
Started Is Janitor.
1t was recalled that when he
had Offices on D street, he had
Ia 20-foot-long banner stretched
across the front of the building urg-
ing votes for Roosevelt. President
Roosevelt noticed the banner one
day when he was driving past, or
dered his car to halt and had his
picture taken before the sign, with
a broad grin on his face and his
hat raised in salute.
Maj. Edward J. Kelly, superin-
tendent Of police, recalled that
Miller started his career as a janitor
in the same precinct station where
he was taken after his arrest yes
terday.
Miller decided to study law in
1914 and entered National Univer-
sity law school. He became one of
the busiest lawyer In Police Court,