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Director of Mitchell's Defence Is Full of Pep
Boston Post - 11/1/25
Congressman Reid Has Sharp Wit---Is 'Billy's' Personal Friend

Everyone knows the fiery "Billy" Mitchell, storm centre of the court-martial in Washington just now, but what of his lawyer?
What sort of man is the chap who is defending the "stormy petrel of the air forces?"
Just as peppery as the colonel—"educated on the streets"—one of a dozen children—and as full of fun as of fire.
Here is the first complete pen picture of him to be published.
BY BETTIE LARIMORE
Washington, D. C., Oct. 31.
Colonel, erstwhile General, Billy Mitchell has found an attorney after how own heart in Frank R. Reid of Aurora, Ill. Although the two are utterly unlike in appearance, manner of speech, and way of life, they are both daring, quick-witted and highly individual.
It was commonly supposed that they were old friends, but Congressman Reid denies this.
"I never saw Colonel Mitchell until this House Aircraft Committee held its sessions last spring. I was a member of that committee and I rather agreed with our General."
What he did not say was that R e p r e sentative Reid, a rookie member of Congress, dominated t h a t committee, became a staunch advocate of the fiery flyer, and forced his own opinions on the rest of the committee. So impressed was the general with C o n g r e s s man Reid's ready wit and nimble mind that he asked the young Congressman to act as his counsel in the present court martial proceedings.
Counsel for the accused, Reid is tall and loosely built. His face wears constantly an expression of cherubic innocence, but anyone who judged from his confiding smile that he didn't know his way around, would be making a big mistake.

Noted for His Humor
The most noticeable thing about Mr. Reid is his sense of humor. If you ask him a straightforward question, his reply is so utterly absurd that you can neither disbelieve nor believe him, but only laugh in sympathy with his infectious dimples.
In the courtroom, his wit not only wins the sympathy of the judge, jury, and spectators, but also of the opposing counsel. However, thickly he coats his points with humor, the opposition quickly realize that a legal question of importance has been raised. In the present court-martial, whatever the decision may be, he has been out-thinking everybody else in the room.
I asked the Congressman when first went into politics. 
"Oh," he replied casually, "I never have gone into politics." This from a Congressman!

The story of his election to Congress is revealing of his character.
Reid had several State offices before his election as national Congressman. Always he was classed as a conservative Taft Republican. The well known Ira Cropley was running for re-election as a Roosevelt Progressive. Reid did not like Cropley and he did not approve of the primary system, so he decided to enter the primaries and beat Cropley.
His platform consisted of promises. He pledged himself to vote for and against almost everything. He outpledged the Progressive Cropley and defeated him.
But when he arrived at the Capitol as Congressman from the 11th district of Illinois, he found himself pledged to vote for a list of things as long as the halls of the Capitol itself. He found his office next to that of Frank Bacon of New York.
Going in to see his neighbor, he showed him the long list of his obligations.
"Look at this list," he exclaimed in dismay. "Let's see yours."
"Reid," lectured Congressman Bacon, "I haven't pledged myself to vote for a d— thing. I told my constituents that if they wanted a representative that was going to vote just as they told him to, to go on and elect that man. I was going to vote according to the dictates of my conscience. In my opinion, Mr. Reid, you are a progressive slave, while I am a reactionary freelance."
Undismayed by this dressing-down from his elders and betters, Mr. Reid went ahead and joined the La Follette caucus. He listened to their deliberations for awhile, then declared, 
"Gentlemen, you are a bunch of pikers. Look at the list of things I am pledged to vote for. When you can compete with my list of obligations, I will talk with you."
So saying, Mr. Reid left the progressive caucus. He fulfilled his obligations his first term, then went back to his constituents and announced himself in his true colors as a conservative Republican. 
His only reason for entering the primaries, (of which he disapproves), was to demonstrate what could happen in a primary and to show what kind of platform would get elected.

Educated "on the Streets"
"Where were you educated?" I asked Mr. Reid.
"On the streets," was his grave reply.
This however, was not the full extent of his education. He attended the public schools of Aurora, the University of Chicago and the Chicago College of Law.
The man whom he affectionately describes as his mentor in law, Judge Plain of Illinois, has come on to Washington at Reid's request, to aid him in this important case. The venerable judge, who after all is not so very much older than his protege, took young Reid in his office as soon as the aspiring boy had graduated from high school. There, while working as office boy, the ambitious youngster read law. But although Reid soon absorbed all the master had to teach him and branched out for himself, the friendship between the two men remains unbroken.

One of Dozen Children
Frank R. Reid was one of a dozen children. In such a large family, each member had to shift for himself. Thus Reid had the strengthening experience of earning his own education. Possibly he wants his children to have the same advantages he had, for he already has five children.
Among the offices Mr. Reid has held, before becoming Congressman, are State's attorney and county attorney of Kane county, Illinois; president of the Illinois State Attorney's Association, assistant United States attorney at Chicago, member of the house of the 47th General Assembly of Illinois, and chairman of the committee on statutory revision; attorney for the Illinois Police Association, chairman Kane county Republican central committee, secretary of League of Illinois municipalities.
In March, 1905, he married Emily Kelley of Aurora.
Mr. Reid excels as a criminal lawyer. While he was assistant U. S. attorney for Chicago, Mr. Reid handled the criminal prosecution for the greatest crime city in the world. Unless the fiery colonel himself takes the stand, Congressman Reid holds the record as the only man in the court martial who can keep the audience awake.
Mr. Reid is unusually modest. When I announced my purpose of writing him up, he invited me in with great affability, treated me to a shoe shine, and drove me to the trial in his car, but he wouldn't tell me a thing.
Colonel Mitchell and his counsel are both 46 years old, the colonel being eight months the younger.