Miller, and now boasts of a Brewer. It has had two Chases, Samuel and Salmon P.; but only one scion of the Smith family ever reached that distinction, — William Smith, of Alabama, who declined the honor, and was succeeded by John McKinley of the same State, who by the by was no relation to William McKinley, otherwise known as " McKinley Bill." The court also had a Bar bour, Philip P., of Virginia, and likewise a Story, the distinguished Joseph, of Massachusetts. There was also a Campbell on the supreme woolsack, who succeeded Justice McKinley. — New York World. "If any debt ought to be paid," says the ChiefJustice (Bleckley) of Georgia, "it is one con tracted for the health of souls; " and he therefore orders a Baptist church in that State to pay the back salary of the preacher, remarking in passing that simple and exact justice in this relation is "the hog and hominy, the bacon and beahs, of morality, public and private." Long before Abraham Lincoln gained any note as a lawyer or politician, he was asked by a farmer near Springfield to undertake a case for him which was. to be tried in Cincinnati; and here occurred one of the most curious incidents in Lincoln's history. He went with this farmer to Cincinnati, and it happened that there were nine other de fendants in the case. Edwin M. Stanton, then one of the most promi nent lawyers at the Ohio Bar, was the attorney for these nine defendants. When he saw the old farmer come in with Lincoln, he took him aside, and in a stage whisper begged him for God's sake not to bring that tall, angular gawk into the case. "His presence in the court will ruin us," said Stanton. " I have the whole proceedings well in hand, and can do you more good without him. I beg you, as you regard the interests of the case, to send your man back to Illinois." A day later the trial came off. Stanton made the leading speech, and it took him a full day to deliver himself. At the close of the speech he said there was one of the defendants in this case who had employed another lawyer; and with that he motioned to Mr. Lincoln, and said he sup posed the court would give him a chance to make a speech. Throughout the trial Lincoln had been the observed man in the court-room; and when
he now arose every eye was turned upon him. He addressed the court, and made a speech of about one hundred words, and then sat down. In these one hundred words, however, he presented an entirely new aspect of the case, and one which brought forth an issue which Stanton had entirely overlooked, or which he did not consider of any moment. As he sat down the Judge said, " Well, gentle men, what have you to say as to that point?" Mr. Stanton and the other lawyers said they had not considered it; and the Judge said, " Well, gentlemen, it is upon that point that the whole case hinges; " and, in short, this speech of Lin coln's decided the case and gave it to his client.
fiecent SDcatfjff. William P. Weli.s, one of the most distin guished lawyers of the Detroit Bar, died suddenly on March 4. He was born at St. Albans, Vermont, Feb. 15, 1831. His father is said to have been a lineal descendant of Thomas Wells, an early Governor of Connecticut. He took a preparatory college course at the Franklin County Grammar School at St. Albans, and then entered the University of Vermont at Burling ton, and after spending four years, graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1851. After graduation he commenced the study of law at St. Albans. In 1852 he entered the law school of Harvard Uni versity, and in 1854 graduated with the degree of LL.B., receiving the highest honors of his class for a thesis on " The Adoption of the Principles of Equity Jurisprudence into the Administration of the Common Law." The same year he received the degree of M.A. from the University of Ver mont, and in 1854 was admitted to the bar of his native Sta at St. Albans. In January, 1856, he settled in Detroit, entering the law office of James V. Campbell. In March following he was admitted to the bar of Michigan, and in November of the same year became a partner of James V. Camp bell, the partnership continuing until Judge Camp bell's accession to the bench in 1858 as one of the judges of the Supreme Court of Michigan From that time until his death Mr. Wells continued the practice of law alone in Detroit. His legal talents early won just recognition, and his practice
