560
THE GREEN BAG
A Brutal Rebuke. —The late Lyman Ellis made and motions passed on when S of Clinton county was when in his prime, arose and in a somewhat guttural tone one of the most brilliant attorneys at the asked, what had become of case no. — bar in eastern Iowa, although his man The chief justice said " The case has not ners were rather peculiar. In the trial of an been passed upon." S not to be nonplussed replied, " Mr. important case a young lawyer from a distant part of the state came to try a case in which Chief Justice, My client is poor, he needs the Ellis had the other side, and as the young law money and this is the only case I have now yer was worsted in argument and on points pending in your court, and I need my fees, of law by the tall, thin, angular and peculiar I'll just give you $5.00 to decide that case acting attorney, he thought that now was the right now." The justice called for order and replied, time to act the mimic and go through the performances just as Ellis acted in the court " this is a court of justice and we must not thought room. There was a general titter all over the be insulted in this manner." S court room for the imitation was complete. he was misunderstood and he replied, " I beg Ellis sat there without cracking a smile and your pardon your honors, I did not mean apparently not observing the clever trick. $5.00 for all, I meant $5.00 apiece," and while When he arose to reply he said to the jury the laugh became general, the attorney was "Gentlemen of the jury, You have just led out of the court room to sober up. heard and seen a man talk who had all the Judicial Expedition. — Milo P. Smith, elements and actions of a smart man, but he judge of the district court of the 18th judi talked like a d— fool." cial district of Iowa, after being in active practice for more than forty years was ele Judge Thompson. — Ex. Judge Wm. G. vated to the bench, and on assuming the Thompson during the seventies was a mem duties of his office began at the first term to ber of congress and a devoted Union man and go over the cases and see what disposition would frequently used to wave the bloody shirt. be made of them, as he was opposed to the He was on the election committee, where dilatory methods of many of the lawyers the agnostic Colonel Ingersoll appeared almost of his district. daily in trying the contested election suits He came to a case and called out, " Did which came up from time to time. you get this case by heirship?" The lawyer One moring before the board met Col. being nonplussed said, " Well, if I did, I am Ingersoll came in smoking while the Judge willing to quit claim all my interest in it sat there attending to some affairs which now." were about to come up. As the colonel "Well " replied the judge, "off it goes as so sat down he looked over towards Judge much driftwood." Coming to another case Thomson and said, " Mr. Thomson, I like he asked, ' ' Is there anything left in case no.—? ' ' you." This remark from the brilliant agnostic The attorney jumped up and said, " Yes, I pleased the Congressman and he replied, "Why do you like me Colonel?" "Well," have a filing fee and a copy fee, I wish to replied Ingersoll, "when I prove that my client get. It should stay on on that account." was running on the straight republican ticket, Smith looked up and said, when the law I have won my case with you, but it takes business gets down to a traffic in copy fees, a lot more to convince the other members you better close up shop young man," and off the case went like many others. of your committee." In making an assignment one member The Price of Justice.— During the early sixties of the firm wanted time as the other mem there was one S who was known all bers of the firm would be busy in other parts of the country. "Well," said the judge, " in over Iowa as one of its most brilliant law case your firm is leading such a strenuous yers but who had a failing — that of get ting drunk. One morning during the early life you better take in some more new blood opening of the supreme court entries were and try and catch up with the procession.',
