| Show WEBSTA AID PIK 1I WhtaWtb tc wait to WRIi1D ten M ft ttarctbt of Gonjpi Infard the latter part lit tkt war of 1A2 he adopted the then prevalent eturtool among ogof r wional lawyers of practicing prac-ticing before the Supreme hart of the United States On this crrn nlcu oas arena he tetrad William Piskdej of Maryland to be the mart prominent i promi-nent figure IHnkney witk ail his brilliant talent vdid not impress Webster Web-ster favorably He thought there was nmetbing very small about Pink Pink nay Ho was very vain and dreg BeG in the extreme fashion ban be went into the court to plead HeW He-W uld wear into court his white gloves that had been put od fresh that morning and that he never put on again He usually rode from his house to the Oapitol on horseback bud his overalls were taken ofl and given to his servant who attended bite The nearest I ever came to a d wnriRht grow says Webster uWdoB witn Wm Pinkney 1 was a lawyer who had my living to get On several eral occasions Pinkaeys manner was wry arrogant and annoying On the occasion to which I refer in some colloquial discussion upon various minor points of the case he treated me with contempt He pooh poohed as much as to say it was not worthwhile worth-while to argue a point I did not know anything about that I was no lawyer I think be spoke of the getlem nan from New Hampshire At any rate it was a thing that every body in the courthouse including the judges could not fail to observe Ohief JUB tie Marshall himselfwas pained by it It was very hard aided Mr Webster or me to restrain my temper tem-per and keep eool l but I did so knowing know-ing in what preseaee I stood I think he construed my apparent humility Into a want of what he would call spirit in resenting and as a sort of acquiescence in his rule However the incident passed the case was not finished wbon the hour for adjournment adjourn-ment came and the court adjourned until next morning Mr Pinkney took his whip aad gloves threw his cloak over his arm and began to saunter away I went up to him and said very calmly Can I see you alone in one of the lobbies He replied Uertatnly 1 suppose that he thought I was going to beg his pardon and ask his assistance We passed into one of the anterooms of the Capitol I looked into one of the grandjury rooms rather remote from the main court room There was no one In and we entered As we did BO I looked at the door and found there was a key in the lock and unobserved by him I turned the key and put it in my pocket Mr Pinkney seemed to be waiting in some astonishment I advanced toward him and said Mr Pinkney you grosslyinsulted me this morning in the courtroom and not for the first time either In deference to your position and the respect in which I I hold the court I did not answer you as I was tempted to do on the spot He began to parley I continued You know you did Don add another an-other sin to that dont deny it you know you did it and you know it was premeditated It was deliberate it was purposely done and if you deny it you state an untruth Now I went on I am here to say to you once tor all that you must ask my pardon and go into court tomorrow morning and repeat the apology or either you or I will go out of this room in a different condition from that in which we entered it I was never more in earnest He looked at me and saw that my eyes were pretty dark and firm He began to say something I interrupted him No explanations said I admit the fact and take it back I do not want another word from you except that I will hear no explanation nothing but that you admit it and recall it He trembled like an aspen loaf He again atkomntnH tn o nlatn Balrl T f r fl 1 There is no other course I have the key in my pookvt and you must apolegize or take what I give you At that be humbled down and aid to me You are right I nm terry I did intend to bluff you I regret it and ask your pardon Enough I promptly replied Now one promise before I open the door and that is that you will tomorrow morning state to the court that you have said things which wounded my feelings I and tbat you regret it Pinkney replied re-plied I will do so Then I unlocked the door and passed out The next morning when the court met Mr Pinkney at once roe and stated to the court that t very unpleasant affair had occurred the morning before as might hiv been observed by their honors that his friond Mr Webster hid fdlt PrlfiVpd rtt ontna thinnrs nhinh 0 lU had dropped from his lipBtha t his 4 zeal for his client might have led him to say some things which be should not have paid and that he was sorry for having thus spoken From that day while at the bar there was no man said Mr Webster Web-ster who treated me with BO much respect and defierence as William Pinkney U |
