A K.C.'S ANECDOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 9

A K.C.'S ANECDOTES.

A. GREAT. VARIETY OP SUBJECTS. : Mr. Crispe,' K.C.j • has had a . long career, and his reminiscences deal with a' great variety, of subjects. He is an excellent gossip, and -his pages, which .'tell, of- literary- men, actors,' actresses, judges 'of the : Victorian' era, advocates and legal wits,' curious cases tried and untried, and so forth, make up a very readable and at times amusing volume. The latter portion of his work MivCrispo devotes -to the student ' aud tho young

barrister,' supplying hints on advocacy as. well as on-the,:management'of judges,, juries, and witnesses. . In his early days Mr. Crispe was a member of the Marylc-bone-'Literary- Society, and in connection therewith, has. something to 6ay of -Thackeray. The ..novelist was engaged by the society to deliver a. lecture, but stated that'hedid not wish; to'be "esquired" on the. bills'. 'He was accordingly .put down "W; 11. Tliaekefay": ■.-.

The .lecture was a ••brilliant success' (Mr. Crispo says). ; ' After it, in tho.cdmmittceroom,< we expected ;to find Tliackeray as gratified as we'wore, but he was as sulky as a bear and as glum as an. owl.' "What's the matter?" at last said Boll.' "What's amiss?" "Well," returned Thackeray; ,'T. don't think 'your people have treated me - with' common. courtesy. When I. write a book I put on the vighette;page .'Vanity Pair,, by W.. M. Thackeray/ ■' but when I deliver a lecture— —" .. -He stopped. "Oh," rejoined the.wily Quaker,."wc should not.think of saying': Mr, William Shakespeare!" The great man swallowed his gilt pill, and. thus flattered,"'.at once becamo his own genial self. ■; • •.'■•>'.. . , Mr:. Crispe baa 'many- recollections of London in the .fifties. . - sonic of the popular -resorts 'then'in existence, he was:ah occasional visitor, and hevwfites: ~ "Vauxhall;;Gardens. werp' ; very .much'as they had been.for. centuries. The old trees still arched overitho alleys where in (times--:gone,' by', the 1 bplles; and beaux had .wandered, ; and, courtly'.phrases,, and sans doute: stolen kisses had been; of tent exchanged. ... ,' .';--Why,, it. was, only' as far.'back;at-1812.: .: : ■:,.; that tho Gardens-presented a picture that outran 'the;; fabulous "description ;of Arabian story,'' ~.;.;';.' : and now ;a. wild' crowd of low-class women, dancing vulgar polkas and'.jigs;'in. their, tinsel, tawdry, fanery! . i'.;.. .The Surrey.Gardens \vere more wholesome. ~;'.'.;.; Cremomo was as'low class : as it -could. 1 pretty, but given :up..to. tho f pests. of London.' ■'/ ' But it was the. theatres, that'were Mr. Crispe's.:great'attraction, and ho recalls the.nanics' of many'distinguished, actors and. actresses whom he knew or has seen. lii'lß7-1 Mr..Crispo.was called.to tho Bar, and .hejoiiied'-.the .;Home: Circuit. ..He came in contact'wit'h.many of the judges, from' Lord ' Chief - Justice.', Cockburh onward. -'Regarding Lord Chief. BnronKelly,' ho has t;his story of Mr. Wharton, who was one. 'of ;the:: Pourth Party,." and a'great blbeker,of Bills:, :■;■'-

.. "He.wns aii inordinate snuff-taker, and in caricatures in !Punch':was always.depicted, with 'a big, snuff-box: and a hiigo bandana, .in ' tho,/ use; of which in ' court ■ho'inaddnn .unseemly; noise.. One day; in the/Baron's, ..Court ho,;had /been extra vigorous, and after an,' cxplbsion of unusual violence:th'o;poor! judge, writhing,. lifted his hands, and.'.in a;.tono of pathetic' expostulation" uttered : 'Mr. Wharton! .'Mr. 'Wharton!?:; The .aggressor, ;tlirusting'--.vliis "handkerchief ,'into his pocket, • said: .' s My Lord,' I will' rotiro' to ■ahothor': place'■■where :!> may.-Jjlo'w my ■nose.,-in peace!''"'-;-'..; ..:;;.■;,

'] Tho ' lato ," Baron ..Cicasby. had two peculiarities—one his. i' abstention . from speaking, absplutb necessity, tho .other a'curious trick of .automatically.'' moving .his head as if,'in dissent.'', Thesp ihabits;. were "responsible'for tho 'folloAvTng.'assiiio'anecdote: '■'■':• :"■ \ "It -is related: that <n-farmer, took? his son into the'.Crown Court; on:,the'bench wa's' Baron :Cloasby,.':gorgeouß"in, soarlet. and ermine,. .statuesque "■ and 'motionless.; Tho yokolv gaped.with Open' 1 mouth, \:as ho: gazed at■'.tho' resplendent '.figure , on tho raised dais. .Suddenly tho Baron moved; his head from' right. to left and 'left to right. ; 'Whoy,. foythcr,'. said tho boy,. 'ifs uloivo.?'"\'Ho thought, it, was a waxwork.:' V-;,:'.'"'; : ' v •;.■':'..■ Court,; was nearly ninoty'wheh Mr. Crispe Judgo Bailey, of the.Westminster Comity tried his last case before him;'., On' that day.'jhis- summing-up to .a, jury, .was' tho most laconic,Mr; Ci'isp'o over, heard:— ./'..■. .. "Gentlemen, I don't know .what you think,, but if you think, as I 'think you; will find- aybrdict.for the plaintiff foreman (of.a'very common'jury);immediately responded: ''We does, your honour, unanimously.":; : ;-;';':'.; .'.'.;■;; Mr. Commissioner.Kerr was a'terrbr to tho/ydung couhserat ,tho Central Criminal- Court, "personal in ;-his. remarks and occasionally offensive." •:,,'.'A. display ...of 'jowellory w-ould put hini'iin a fever:. ■ ■ "What ,have you got, there,: sir?'.' he would say. iny.a. broad Scotch, accent. "What have ' you . dangling from your, ■waistcoat? . .A gold' chain, .is it, and a .watch?. ■ 'Eh,:sir! put.'it ; away, cover it up; this is not; the place for a display of trinkets."' . .... -■.'; ■;'••':' ■, Of courso. Commissioner Kerr,' had the, warrant of .the High.Court- judges, somo of whom, Mr. Crispe says, aro.-afflicted. witiu. blindness,; and cannot see a; counsel who has not his wig and robes on, or' hoar him if ho wears : a white waistcoat. Mr. Crisporhas had ,vory..littlo criminal practice,, but ho refers to the strain of responsibility ;which • criminal • counsel sometimes, endure when defending a mur- 1 doror. He mentions the case of a fellowmember of his Inn—Mr. Geoghegnn—who in his' time defended more murderers than any other ■ counsel. ;"He was always terribly affected with the' fear that, ho might not get' his man off." At the Bar mess ; Mr. Crispe has seen him, "quite unstrung.' at the doom'possibly .awaiting to-morrow the poor wretch ho could not.savo." Kegarding Old Bailey oratory, we are assured that if a man could, rant .well he was suro to get patronago... "The thieves liked a hian who .would, speak, up for •thorn'":'.:.''. '"' ■ ', "I.was once (says, Mr.; Crispe) at the Middlesex''Sessions,; and my spoecli to, tfiojury in a minor key was interrupted by what appeared:, t0,.b0 a . terrible disturbance. Had the Italians, from Saffron Hill, 'who Were frequently,tip for' cutting and wounding, risen en,masso and. be? sieved the Sessions' House? Sir Toter Edliu, tho presiding judge, sent the usher to '.ascertain"tho;-cause of .the uproar. After a few anxious moments the iislier returned with the news' that 'it was only Mr.. Sleigh' addressing tho jury! . •'. Mr. Crispo evidently thinks that there is room for, reform in many things,legal:. For instance, he is. of, opinion..that, the. oath is administered too .indiscriminately arid without caution except to the young child; '.■ Ho contends,: however,;: that evidence' in the courts- .generally,,is pure. Air. Crispe would .also reform tho marriage'laws,'permitting divorce under certain circumstances which, be states. After particulars of- '.a . number of curious cases, tried and.untried, with-vlucli Mr. Crisno was concerned aro. set forth, ho goes" on to discuss the Bar as a profession. Ho thinks-it ."the most delightful' of all avocations," but it is no uso for. a man going to it "unless ho has a very strong constitution, a vigorous physique, an independent income,, tho highest ability, and-pleuty of patience.". A, story: which ho. recalls of a bnmster s clerk'is worth quoting here: .■'". "His master, a young, 'briefless, 'was perambulating tho courts with an.air of scarcely being able' to find time _to do anything—when, his boy tracked him down in ono of the corridors. 'Oh, sir!' said tli-2 hoy, 'there's a man at chambers waiting with a brief, sir!' 'What! a brief! Great htavens!' And tho, young fellow began to-.run through the passages as fast as-ho could for. fpnr. the prey should escape:him. 'Stop, sir! . stop!' cried the boy, who could scarcely keep pace. Ton needn't liurj'y,.. sir. .:■ I've locked him'in!'". .. On;such subjects as, the art of examination . and .'cross-examination, . svdyocacj geuerally, bar etiquette, and so forth, : Mr'.' Crispe, of course, can . spei'.'; willi authority. His book will appeal not only to' men'in or entering his own profession, but to'tho wider public outside of.it— "Westminster Gazette," "Windsor" Xmos No. presents short I Btories by tho World's Great Novelists.