12 FACTS RELATING TO GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 



boarded together at the Mansion House, Charlestown Square. 

 It was said that when they were associated in a case, they were 

 in the habit of examining and cross-examining the witnesses. 

 On one of these occasions, as the story went, Mann conducted 

 the examination, and Farley followed with the cross. Under 

 his hand the witnesses went to pieces. After the witnesses 

 left, Farley said, " We can never succeed if those are your 

 witnesses." Mann replied : " Oh, those are the witnesses for 

 the other side. To-morrow evening I will show you my wit- 

 nesses." When the evening came, the same witnesses came 

 also. They were again subject to examination and cross- 

 examination, and proved impregnable under Farley's hand. 

 An invention, no doubt, and yet the story had a run. 



Although Russell was not a competitor in any sense with 

 such antagonists as Farley and Mann, he was in the enjoy- 

 ment of a practice that was sufficient for a living, and a pru- 

 dent man would have made it the beginning of a moderate 

 fortune. He had neither skill in money matters nor ordinary 

 economy. Hence he was always in debt. At one term of 

 the court he entered fifty-eight writs, and there were terms 

 when he had from seventy to one hundred cases on the 

 docket. Each of these cases gave him thirty-three and one 

 third cents costs for every day of the term. 



Russell held the office of Master in Chancery. In 1838 the 

 Insolvent Law was enacted, and its administration was confided 

 to Masters in Chancery. Russell soon gained a reputation 

 for leniency in the matter of granting discharges to the insol- 

 vent debtors, and his business increased rapidly. His jurisdic- 

 tion was the whole county, and although there were several 

 masters in the county, his fame was such that petitions came 

 from Lowell, Waltham and other places where masters had 

 offices. I was appointed clerk in insolvency, at five dollars 

 a day when a court was held. In this way I gained some 

 needed income, acquired a knowledge of the Insolvent Law, 

 and more than all, I gained the acquaintance of the leading 

 lawyers of the county. As debtors and witnesses were exam- 

 ined, I may have gained something in practice. The Insol- 

 vent Law, amended, to be sure, has remained on the statute 



