Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-07-17

TWO HoNEsT LAWYERS.

We still occasionally meet with individuals
who entertain prcjudices against whole profess
slOns. declaring, Tor instance, that all engaged in
the law must needs be tainted with roguery.-
That there may be something uniavorable TO gen.
eral morality in the maxim which sanctions a le-
Gal man in taking up causes, which he fully be-
lieyes 10 be bad, We not prepared TO deny; that
there are many despicable petiiogRers continual.
ly engaged in dirty and roguish work, cannot be
doubted; but it is at the same time evident to all
who can take a comprehensive view of the pro-
lcssion that the great mass are men of the pu-
rest honor, while many exhibit even an unusual
exactncss in their dealings with their fellow
creatures. The effect of the following true story
will be, we think, 10 show that honor and shame
are not necessarily connected with any Of the
walks of life in which common prejudice ex'
poets TO find them.
In certain mercantile town, which need not
be named, there existed thirty years ago, house
|transactng business under the firm OF b. NJ. IL.
& Co. Their trusty clerk, J. s., having been
one day sent to the bank for a large sum, which
was paid to him in hundred pound notes, was re-
turning with it, when, having gone into shopior
some unimporant purpose, he unhapplly dropped
one of the notes, which he did not miss till he
/ had reached the counting room Of his employers.
/ The Junior partner of thriving manufacturing
house happened to observe it Immediately after
the loser had departed, and, picking il up unob-
served, he showed it to his partners as wlndlall,
they agreed to regard it as a common good, and
entered it as such in their books. The loss OF
the note was duly advertised in the newspapers
and by pacards; the fact became universally
known and was universally regretted; but no
trace of il was discovered. The very men who
had appropriated it, joined heartily in dcploring
, the misfortune Of the poor clerk, upon whom II
was known that the loss would fall; when all et.
fort had failed, J. S. was obliged 10 make up the
sum to his employers, out Of little fund which
he had accumulated as a provision for a lunatlc
daughter. Worse still; the misfortune preyed
upon his spirits. He fell into ill health, and soon
alter died, leaving a destitute family.
For twenty years, the trio who had diyidedt the
hundred pounds pililessly behcd the struggles of
the poor widow and her children. At length
their coparcenery was dissolved, and the junior
partner, in consulting his legal agent, w. as TO
! some details of that transaction, incidentally sta
ted that he had hardly got his fair share Of that
hundred pound note which he had picked up.
twenty wears ago. Little more passed at that
time; but about three months after, widow b. the
surviving child of poor S. who had lost the note,
having occasion to consult the same legal gentle
man, made alusion to that circumstance as what
2 had produced the ruin of her fathers family
Struck with the coincidence of time, place, and
Z the sum lost, w. made further inquiries, and the
i result was, that he recommended the widow Is. 20
= call upon the principal partner of the dissolved
D concern, and ask pontcdly if a member of his
5 house had ever found hundred pound note, and
Il if thesum had been credtedto cash in therbooks.
L The poor woman acted according to direction;
Il and by the person to whom she applied, was or
derod to quit his house, and never trouble him a
gain on such a subject. Not dauntod by the re-
y pulse, w. caused his poor protege to apply to B.
d the principal partner Of the house by which her
c father had been employed, requesting that he
II would kindly exert himself to see Justice done TO
d her. B. was benevolent, as well as conscien-
l. tous man; he had ever regretted the fate of poor
+ S., and he now felt the deepest indignation at the
J. trio whom, from the report Of w. he believed to
rs have appropriated the note. He applied by letter
ct and personally, for the restoration of the money;
Is but met only shufllng denias and reiusals.
?. rupture took place between the parties, and with
y b. s concurrence, a summons was served by w.
re upon the three partners of the dissolved firm, mar
ID rating all the circumstances Of the case, and con-
b. cIuding for the value Of the missing note, with
interest and expenses An agent was employed
in defence, but, happily, like w. he was an hon
l. est man. NJ. observing something suspicious in
IN the case, assembled the three partners in his
chamber, where a conversation somewhat like
re the following took place.
le M.-Wcll gentlemen, your defence in this
o; case what is it!
v Trio.-Oh, there is no proof that the pursu.
h. ers father lost any note, or that we found the one
h. he lost
III M.-Dd any of you find Royal Bank El00
I'll note at the time and place stated in the summons!
ie Trio.-Ay; but what proof is there that 1t is
" the one he lost, if indeed, he lost any note!
le M.-Did you at the time know Of the advertise
of ments and reward narrated in the summons!
of Trio.-Oh, we cannot remember these tai
in back stories.
10 M.-Yes; but see you do not deny them, and
id wish to know if you yourselves advertised the
to finding of the note, as was clearly your duty a;
ar honest men!
Trio.-No; and surely there was no law o.
the land which obliged us to do so.
n. M.-Well, gentlemen, tell you frankly tha
ee this seems to me an ugly affair, and you had bet
of ter settle it, for certainly shall not defend you.
If Suuckwith thcstraightorward honesty of theil
ne own agent, the partners could not resist his ad
IN vice. The opposite agent, w. was sent for, anC
m asked what rate of interest he demanded. ll(
re answered to NJ. "whatever, you sir, as agent fol
the defenders. think fair" "Then," said NJ. I"
fix it at bank interest,"" and the matter was imme
diately settled.
w, Thus was monsrous wrong which had beer
vo inflicted by individuals Of class held generally
bt in respect, redressed by the honesty and zeal
1st two members of profession often spoken of a
% 81 wholly predatory and vile. Could any thin
ro r show us in more expressive light the necess
W. of caution in applying general characters to larg
,so bodies of men.