Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 November 1890 — A Costly Conviction. [ARTICLE]

A Costly Conviction.

Eoscoe Conkling, writes Eli Perkins, came into Charles O’Conor’s office one day when he was a young lawyer in quite a nervous state. “You seem to be very much excited, Mr. Conkling ” said Mr. O’Conor, as Roscoe walked up and down the room. “Yes, I’m provoked—l am provoked,'” said Mr. Conkling. “I never had a client dissatisfied about my fee before. ” “Well, what’s the matter?” asked O’Conor. “Why. I defended Gibbons for arson you know. He was convicted, but I did hard work for him. I took him to the Superior court and he was convicted, then on to the Supreme court, and the Supreme court confirmed the judgment, and gave him twenty years. I charged him $3,000, and now Gibbons is grumbling about it—says it's too much. Now, Mr. O’ConOr, I ask you, was that too much?” “Well,” said Mr. O'Conor, very deliberately, “of course you did a good deal of work, and $3,000 is not a very big fee, but to be frank with vou. Mr. Conkling, my deliberate opinion ia that he might have been convicted for less money.”