CHAPTER XXIII 



Northallerton Sessions " Skiddy " Judging Terriers at the 

 Crystal Palace Tom Fitzwilliam Curiosities of the N.E. 

 Circuit Samuel Danks Waddy Mathew Dawson and Lord 

 Falmouth at Newmarket Silvio's Great Trial Glorious Year 

 for Blair Athol Cobham Stud in excelsis Buying Mares 

 from John Porter Lured to Leeds Left at Leeds Cobham 

 neglected Money Losses Trouble brewing Ten per Cent. 

 Dividend but no Money Russo-Turkish War Disraeli 

 Position of the Stud Company Ltd. 



NOW I was not without a good reason for going to 

 the Bar, inasmuch as Mr Arrowsmith was still 

 flourishing and the old office in Thirsk was that 

 of Arrowsmith & Richardson. They did a big business, 

 and the briefs at Northallerton Quarter Sessions came 

 as a matter almost of course to me, and there was also 

 at Assizes all the work that could be given to an extreme 

 junior. I delighted in Northallerton Quarter Sessions. 

 The leader of the Bar there was Skidmore " Skiddy," 

 as he used to be called and he was a wonder for tickling 

 the ears of country juries. 



I have heard a jury interpose when Skidmore was defend- 

 ing a man against whom no case was made out, and the 

 judge was about to direct them to declare him not guilty, 

 and the foreman said : " We should like to hear Mr 

 Skidmore, my Lord ! " 



This was at York Assizes and the judge allowed them to 

 hear the speech in defence, though there was absolutely 

 no necessity for it. The jury would not on any account 

 have missed that treat if they could possibly have avoided 

 doing so. Sutherst, who was heard much of in legal 

 proceedings of later years, was also a Northallerton 

 Sessions man, and there were many others. 



We had a splendid cellar of port at the old hotel, which 



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