Virginia -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
Then, seeing in how desperate a strait I was, I summoned all my
courage. I rose to my feet and faced the judge. I said:—
“But, please, Mr. Judge, this isn’t fair. That man Campbell hates me,
and I hate him. Isn’t it better to send me to somebody else? Besides
that, he has a lawyer, and I haven’t one. Can’t I hire a lawyer to
speak for me? I’ve got two dollars in my pocketbook to pay him with.”
Everybody laughed when I said that. You see, I had no idea what the
price of lawyers was. But just then an old gentleman arose and said to
the judge:—
“If it please the court, I will appear as counsel for this persecuted
girl. I have listened to these proceedings with indignation and horror.
It is perfectly clear to my mind that this is a case of kidnapping
under the forms of the law.”
There the judge interrupted him, saying:—
“The court will permit no reflections upon its proceedings.”
Then my lawyer answered:—
“I have cast no reflections upon the court. My challenge is to the
integrity and good faith of this man, Campbell. I do not know the
facts that lie behind this proceeding. I am going to ask the court
for an adjournment, in order to find them out. It is obvious that this
young girl—helpless and friendless here—looks not only unwillingly,
but with positive horror, upon the prospect of being placed again in
Campbell’s charge. Morally, and I think legally, she has a right to be
heard in that behalf, to have the facts competently explored and fully
presented to the court. To that end, I ask that the matter be adjourned
for one week, and that the young girl be paroled, in the meanwhile, in
the custody of her counsel.”
Then the dear old gentleman, whom everybody seemed to regard with
special reverence, took his seat by my side, and held my hand in his.
Campbell’s lawyer made a speech to the judge, and when he had finished,
the judge said that my lawyer’s request was denied. He explained the
matter in a way that I did not understand. It seemed to anger the old
lawyer who had taken my case. He rose and said, as nearly as I can
remember:—
“Your Honour’s denial of my motion is a denial of justice. This young
girl, my client, is a minor child, utterly defenceless here except in
so far as I have volunteered my services to defend her. But she is
an American citizen, and as such is entitled to be heard in her own
behalf. In this court she cannot get a hearing, for the reason that
this court has corruptly prejudged the case, as it corruptly prejudges
every case in which money or influence can be brought to bear.”
By this time the judge was pounding with his mallet, and the whole
court-room was in an uproar. But, raising his voice, my dear old lawyer
continued:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account