CfConnell as a Legal Raconteur.
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O'CONNELL AS A LEGAL RACONTEUR. II. WE feel that we are not wearying the patience of our readers, but, on the contrary, placing before them matters of great interest in professional circles, by re producing some further anecdotes of Mr. O'Connell's experiences at the bar, which after the lapse of half a century, have been forgotten in Ireland, and are quite fresh to English lawyers. "In my journal," writes Mr. O'Neill Daunt, "of November 5, 1840, I find, among other memoranda, some interesting forensic re collections of O'Connell. Hedges Eyre, an Orange leader, had invariably engaged O'Connell as his counsel. On one occasion, a brother Orangeman severely censured Hedges Eyre for employing the Catholic leader. ' You've got seven counsel without him, and why should you give your money to that Papist rascal? ' Hedges did not make any immediate reply, but they both remained in court watching the progress of the trial. The counsel on the opposite side pressed a point for non-suit, and carried the judge along with him. O'Connell re monstrated against the non-suit, protest ing against so great an injustice. The judge seemed obdurate. ' Well, hear me, at all events,' said O'Connell. ' No, I won't,' re plied the judge, ' I've already heard the leading counsel.' ' But / am conducting counsel, my Lord,' rejoined O'Connell, ' and more intimately aware of the details of the case than my brethren. I entreat, therefore, you will hear me.' The judge ungraciously consented, and in five minutes O'Connell had argued him out of the non-suit. 'Now! said Hedges Eyre in triumph to his Orange confrere, ' now do you see why I gave my money to that Papist rascal? '" O'Connell related this story of a physician
who had been detained for many days at the Limerick assizes, to which he had been sub poenaed as a witness. He pressed the judge to order him his expenses. " On what plea do you claim your expenses?" demanded the judge. " On the plea of my having suffered personal loss and inconvenience, my Lord," replied the simple applicant, " I have been kept away from my patients these five days — and if I am kept here much longer, how do I know but they'll get well." Here is a reminiscence of the method by which the harshness of the Penal Law System in its decline was mitigated by the action of the judicial bench : " My poor old confessor, Father Grady," said O'Connell, "who resided with my uncle when I was a boy, was tried in Tralee on the charge of being a Papish priest, but the judge defeated Grady's pro secutors by distorting the law in his favor. There was a flipppant scoundrel who came forward to depose to Father Grady's having said mass. "' Pray, sir,' said the judge, ' how do you know he said mass?' "' Because I heard him say it, my Lord.' "' Did he say it in Latin? ' asked the judge. "' Yes, my Lord.' "'Then you understand Latin?' '"A little.' "' What words did you hear him say? ' "' Ave Maria.' "'That is the Lord's Prayer, is it not?' asked the judge. "' Yes, my Lord,' was the fellow's answer. "' Here is a pretty witness to convict the prisoner,' cried the judge. ' He swears Ave Maria is Latin for the Lord's Prayer.' "The judge charged the jury for the pris oner, so my poor old friend Father Grady was acquitted."
