DEAR ABBY: I read your quotes from the courts of law a few days ago and got a big laugh from them. But did you know that actions can speak louder than words, even in a courtroom?
My grandfather, John M. Killits, was a district federal court judge in the 1930s, and a local judge before that. In one of his cases an injured man was suing someone for his injuries, and the defending lawyer became suspicious about the case. He appeared very friendly and sympathetic.
First he said: "I see that one of your serious injuries was damage to your left arm. Is that right? How high can you raise it?" The man grunted and groaned and managed to raise his arm about a foot.
The lawyer clucked sympathetically, "My goodness, that IS terrible. How high could you raise it before it was injured?"
"Oh, about like this," the man replied, and he lifted the arm high above his head.
Needless to say, the whole courtroom burst out laughing and Grandpa threw the case out of the court. -- RICHARD N. GARDNER, HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF.