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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