Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 17.pdf/82

 THE LEGAL SIDE OF JOSEPH W. FOLK

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nothing would come of them. For years so." He lays down the defense and hunts there had been knowledge of boodling in up all the authorities in that line. As a state and city affairs, but no one had been bit of illustration I might here state that found to take office with the hardihood of this was apparent when the Robert M. attacking and rooting out this evil. No Snyder case went to trial. Folk, following man of sufficient force had dared to assume up his idea of being the defendant's counsel, the oath and follow his duty to the letter, figured out almost exactly the line of de and it was not thought possible that Folk, fense that Judge Henry S. Priest, Judge a man whose demeanor is always as gentle Frederick W. Lehmann, Major Warner of as a woman's and whose life seems a con Kansas City, Morton Jourdan and the entire tinual smile, could resist the pressure that defense planned. Snyder had the cream of was bound to be brought. But the Circuit the legal profession aligned against the Attorney had his own ideas. In his own State's prosecutor and the surprises that way he was as great as Samuel J. Tilden, were intended for the State were met almost "How in the world but his efforts were destined to be greater as soon as offered. than those of the New York Reformer. He did you figure this out," one of the lawyers was after a monstrous clique as was Tilden, asked of Folk, and received the quiet re but while Tilden reached a few, Folk was joinder: "Oh, if I were to defend this man I would to gather in a multitude. In Missouri the feat had never been attempted. The near certainly set up the statutes of limitation est approach to it was the Tweed case in so as to try the question of residence and New York, and then the whiskey ring prose prevent bribery entering into it." That was exactly the line of defense offered, cutions, a proceeding backed by the might of the Federal Government thirty years ago. and Folk was ready with his authorities and Neither could have much weight in the succeeded in confounding the lawyers for Folk campaign, but he was likened to both the defendant. But reverting again to his investigation. the former prosecutors, until his work as sumed such proportions as to bring him The first indictments were followed by the forth positively as a mighty apostle of re flight, first of Murrell and then of Kratz. Folk, determined to smoke out the entiie form in public office, greater than his pre decessors because he began with nothing, boodle gang, offered a reward for the cap and when it seemed that even the courts ture of both, and the best citizens came to were against his idea, he went to the polls his assistance with a fund to carry on his and drove the political adherents of the work. He had no funds from the State and gang he was fighting down to the sea of the city authorities refused to give him any aid. His life was threatened and the Chief defeat. The law library furnished him little in of Police, fearful of what might follow an formation to base his prosecutions upon, but attempted assassination, placed detectives he boiled down what he found and when to guard him night and day. He ordered the time came there was no: "Mene, mene, the detectives to attend to their regular tekel tipliarsin" written on the wall. duties. Folk's strength as a lawyer may be stated With the cases in Court to work on, Folk to be his dissipation of self. He prepares continued his Grand Jury inquiry and at all his cases just as though he represented the same time planned surprises for the the defense. He has his indictment before boodlers. His work on witnesses summoned him and the facts in the case, and his argu was remarkable, and built his reputation ment to himself is that : "If I were this as a cross-examiner. The information he man's lawyer I would fight this case just obtained of boodling in State affairs was