The Editor’s Bag which proved conclusively that there was no moon on the night the deed was
said to be committed. “On this testimony Armstrong was acquitted, while every witness was seen to have committed perjury. “I recall hearing of a lawyer who was opposed to Mr. Lincoln trying to convince a jury that precedent was superior to law. When Lincoln rose to answer, he told the jury he would
argue his case in the same way.
105
The fellow answered, ‘About six acres.’ ‘Well,’ said Mr. Lincoln, ‘don’t you think
this is an almighty small crop of fight to gather from such a big piece of ground?’ The jury laughed, the Court and district attorney and complainant all joined in, and the case was laughed
out of court."
'
MORE NEARLY ACCURATE TOWN in New Jersey had until
‘Old
recently as its sole representative
Squire Bagly,‘ said he, ‘came into my office and said, "Lincoln, I want your advice as a lawyer. Has a man what's
of the majesty of the law a Justice of the Peace who was noted for his abun
been elected justice of the peace a right to issue a marriage license?" I told him he had not, when the old squire
threw himself back in his chair very
dant good nature and also for his
love of good whisky, which he consumed in more than ordinary quantities. A few weeks ago he died, and the
thing, and we agreed to let you decide;
clergyman in his funeral address dilated upon the good qualities of the deceased and described him as a “man filled with the milk of human kindness.” At that moment a man in the rear of the
but, if this is your opinion, I don’t
church observed to his neighbor in a
want it, for I know a thunderin’ sight
shrill and penetrating voice: “The parson would have been a. little more accurate if he had said the ‘milk-punch of human kindness.’ ”
indignantly,
and
said,
"Lincoln,
I
thought you was a lawyer. Now, Bob Thomas and me had a bet on this
better, for I have been squire now eight years and have done it all the time."' "Mr. Lincoln himself told me once that, in his judgment, one o£ the best things he ever originated was this. He
“INSULT THE JUDGE" was trying a case in Illinois where he
appeared for a prisoner charged with aggravated assault and battery. The
R. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes of the United States Supreme
complainant had told a horrible story
Court recently recalled a personal anec
of the attack, which his appearance fully justified, when the district attorney handed the witness over to Mr. Lincoln for cross-examination. Mr. Lincoln said he had no testimony, and unless
dote connected with the late Gen. Benjamin F. Butler. "Gen. Butler was on his way to Boston
he could break down the complainant’s story he saw no way out. He had come to the conclusion that the witness was
might look at the notes on the case. Butler acquiesced. To my astonish ment I saw written at the top of page 1, ‘Insult the Judge.’
a bumptious man, who rather prided himself upon his smartness in repartee, and so, looking at him for some minutes, he inquired, ‘Well, my friend, what
ground did you and my client fight over?’
to try a case before Judge Shaw. I met him on the train, and asked if I
“ ‘You see,’ said Butler, in answer to my question, ‘I first get Judge Shaw's
ill will by insulting him.
Later in the
case he will have decisions to make