John M. Church, Attorney at Law - From Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters, Attorney at Law

I was the attorney for the "Q," and the indemnity company which insured the ownners of the mine. I pulled the wires with judge and jury, and the upper courts to beat the claims of the crippled, the widow, the orphan, and made a fortune thereat. The bar association sang my praises in a high-flown resolution, and the floral tributes were many. But the rats devoured my heart, and a snake made a nest inside my skull.