He then trained as a barrister at Middle Temple , where he was called to the bar in 1880 and devilled for William Rann Kennedy . He was appointed a King 's Counsel in 1903 . His most prominent cases were in a series of major lawsuits following the 1907 Kingston earthquake , where he was leading counsel for a group of insurers , and as the defence barrister in the 1910 trial of Dr. Crippen . He was appointed as Recorder of Salford in 1904 , where he was noted as a conscientious judge , particularly when dealing with young offenders and inexperienced barristers
1907 Kingston earthquake
1907 Kingston earthquake
Alfred Tobin