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TJie Green Bag.

ney's skill to establish it as a precedent in the courts. Upon the same principle he secured the acquittal of Lenairs accused of murdering a farmer who had threatened to shoot him for trespass. But more remarkable than either of these was the- victory he achieved in the Kirkpatrick poisoning case. He won this case against all odds. It is not so remarkable a thing for a lawyer to come off triumphant in a noted criminal case when the newspaper world and public opinion are in his favor, but to come off victorious in spite of press and people is the lot of but few. Yet this case was won in the face of such opposition. But his greatest success and what proved the stepping stone to higher things in his case was his termination of the contest be tween William B. Mann and Lewis Cassidy. The bone of contention was the office of District Attorney and the date of the event 1856. The case occupied the courts for months and was of as much importance rela tively speaking, as the Tiklen-Hayes contest. The case was finally decided in favor of Mr. Mann, who ever after cherished the highest good will and friendship towards his counsel. An unexpected reward followed this victory, for, unasked and wholly unexpected, his name was announced for the City Solicitorship. Party feeling was submerged in admiration and, the people knowing well the benefit such a holder would confer upon the office, he was elected by an overwhelming majority. He occupied this position for two terms. After wards he served for three years on the Com mon Pleas bench, resigning to accept an ap pointment as Attorney General of the Com monwealth, made by Governor Geary. The legal lore of Pennsylvania received several valuable contributions from the pen of this eminent statesman, eleven volumes in all. That he was able to find time for such work is to be attributed solely to the magic of the man's methods. The case of Stephen Girard's will con

trasted the oratory of the great Daniel Webster with the legal acumen of Frederic Carroll Brewster, and while the latter's vic tory was not welcomed by all, it will ever remain as a testimony to his greatness. The same may be said of his subsequent conduct as solicitor of the Girard estate. To him is due the defense of this great property—but Philadelphians are yet undecided as to the advantage of such a vast extent of enclosed ground in the center of the city. The con fusion of streets resulting from the location of Girard College is regarded with disfavor by many of the inhabitants who take pride in the almost mathematical precision of their city's thoroughfares, yet all are willing to ad mire the skill of the advocate who thwarted the ordinance of councils and the plans of real estate brokers. It is difficult sometimes to conceive of a modern professional man as refined. The continual contact with men of all classes, the rush and bustle of legal proceedings, all tend to dull the finer sensibilities and make a man precise and exacting rather than genial and affable; yet wherever you met Judge Brewster, whether at his office or in court, as an officeholder or a citizen; in business or at home—he was always the same—a perfect gentleman. He was never impatient or ar rogant to a legal adversary nor overbearing as a victor. He was kind to all—and there fore beloved by all. According to his own statement there was an incident in his early legal life that had great after-effect upon his conduct. While he was studying law in his father's office he was requested by his parent to present a petition for signature to various men con nected with the Philadelphia Bar. The peti tion was one to the Legislature requesting the repeal of an obnoxious Act of Assembly. A list of the signatures wanted was given to young Brewster and he started to fulfil his mission. The first name was no less than that of the great Horace Binney. A feeling of awe came over the young student as he