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Abe Lincoln Skinned Him

Abe Lincoln Skinned Him image
Parent Issue
Day
30
Month
July
Year
1890
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

"I f I can free thiscase from technicalities and get it pioperly swunsr to the jury, I'll win t," Ahrabam Lincoln used to 8ay, wlien contident ot' the justice of the cause he represented, says tlie St. Louis Globe Democrut. He was weak In defending a wroasr case, for he was mentiilly and momlly too honest to explain away the bad points of a cause by. insenious sophistry. In&tead of attcmpting to bolster up such a cuse he abamloned It. Once he abandooed a case in open court, being convinced that it wus unjust. A leas fastidlous lawyer took Mr. Liucolii's place aml won the case. Mr. Herndon, in h!s "Life of Lincoln," leus a story wliich exhihits Itis ability in gettinj; a case he believed in "properly swung to the jury." A pension agent named Wriglit secured for the widow of a revoluiionary soldier a pension of $400, of which sum be retai:. ed one half as hls fee. The pensloner, a crippled oíd woman, bobbled inro Lincoln's otliee and told ber atory. It stirri'd Lincoln up; he broujcht suit afraiiiBt the agent, and the day of the trial he said: "I am golng to skin "VVright and get that money back." He did so. The old woman told her story to the jury. Lincoln, in hls plea, lrew a picture of the banUhlps of Valley Forg'e, descrlbing the soldiers as creeplng barefooted over the ice and markiug their tracks by tbeir bleeding feet. Tben he contrasted the hardshipa of the soldiers, endured for their country, with the hardened action of the agent in fleeclng the old woman of hal f of her pension. He was merciless; the members of the Jury were la tears, and the agent writbed in his seat under the castigation of Lincoln's denunciation. The jury returned a rerdlct in her favor for the iull amount and Lincolu made no charge for his ervlees. Hls notes for the argument were unique: "fío contract- Not professional services - Unreaponable charge - Money retained by Def't notgiven by Pl'ff- Revolutlonary War- Describe "Valley Forge privations- Ice - Soldiers' bleeding feet- PrfF8 husband- Soldier leavlng for army -Skin Deft- Close."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier