Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 10.pdf/208

 Sir Frank Lockwood.

183

form — invited the usher to have a drink him as when he was the hero of it. He used with him, in order that he might tell him to tell of a man whom he was defending at that he had never spent such an enjoyable York. The prisoner was charged with steal time in his life, and request the privilege of ing cattle — " beasts " they call them there. sitting on the next jury called for one of Mr. Sir Frank said to a witness : " Now, my man, you say you saw so and so; how far Frank Lockwood's cases. In many of his cases he was opposed by off can you see a beast to know it? " " Just Sir Edward Clarke, and the contrast between as far off as I am from you," replied the witness. Upon another the great burly figure of occasion, in defending a Sir Frank— he was six man, had up for horse feet four — and Sir Ed stealing, the judge re ward, who is below the marked sternly to a wit average height, often ness inclined to be flip gave an additional zest to the fun which Sir pant: "Horse-stealing Frank was almost al is a very serious offense; ways sure to get out of fifty years ago it was a hanging matter." his adversaries case. "Well," replied the wit In fact, Sir Frank ness, with a certain log Lockwood's wit and ical reasonableness, humor and his engaging '' fifty years hence it way with a jury, often may not be a crime at gave him the advan all." Once in defend tage over Sir Edward ing a prisoner accused Clarke, who is an able of stealing a spade, lawyer and a man of Lockwood, then just be profound learning, al ginning his practice, in though not a humorist. sisted that there was no On one occasion, when precedent for sentence they were opposed as of punishment for a theft usual, Sir Edward, to Sir of that particular gar Frank's apparent aston den implement. The ishment and indignation (From an original sketch.) Dogberry of a justice, ventured on a witticism. after carefully consultEven the judge, Mr. Justice Matthew, looked up in surprise, ing his ' Archibald's Practice," said to the and remarked, " You must remember, Sir prisoner " I can't find anything under the Edward, that Sir Frank Lockwood has a word ' spade,' although I see that a man monopoly in that field." The stories that was convicted and severely punished for are attributed to him are innumerable, and stealing a ' shovel.' You have had a very wherever he appeared in the courts, in the narrow escape, but you may go this time." smoking-room at Westminster, in the club He always enjoyed this hit on himself. At or in the lobby of the theatre, he was sure a banquet at York an old citizen who was to be surrounded by a laughing throng, for afflicted with deafness was asked his opinion he was a prince of raconteurs. Like all of the sitting members. " I don't know good story-tellers, he enjoyed the point of much about 'em," he replied, " but one of the joke quite as much when it was against 'em is called Lockwood." " What sort of a