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The Case of the Cigar Ash
Clarence Darrow, the famed 19th-century lawyer who defended the schoolteacher in the Scopes "Monkey" Trial, is said to have pulled a quietly theatrical stunt in court. According to legend, just before the prosecution delivered its closing argument, Darrow lit a cigar with a long wire hidden inside. As the opposing lawyer spoke, the jury’s attention drifted—not to the legal points being made, but to the ash on Darrow’s cigar, which stubbornly refused to fall. The spectacle of that gravity-defying ash, growing ever longer, allegedly stole the show.
It’s a compelling story, but with no solid evidence to back it up, one suspects it belongs more to the realm of courtroom folklore than fact. Amusing as the tale is, perhaps it’s best to say the jury’s still out—and Mr. Darrow remains innocent until proven guilty.