The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1849-04-17
MISCELLANY.
From Chamb,rs' Edinburgh Journal
EXPERIENCES OF a BARRISTER
THE MARCH AssIZE.

Something more than half century ago,
person, in going along Holborn, might have
seen, near the corner of one of the thorough
fares which diverge towards Russell Square
the respectable looking shop Of glover and
haberdasher named james Harvey, a man gen
orally esteemed by his neighbors, and who
was usually considered well TO do in the world.
| Like many London tradcsmcn, Harvey was
originally from the country. lie had come up
to town when poor lad to push his fortune,
and by dint of steadness and cIvility, and a
small property left him by distant relation,
| ne had been able TO get into business on his
own accountant to attain that most important
element of success in London-'a connection.
Shortly after setting up in the world, he mar
ried Young woman from his native town, to
whom he had been engaged ever since his
school-dnyS; and at the time our narrative
commences he was the father Of three chill
lrcn.
James Harvevs establishment WAS one OF
the best frequented of its class in the street.
You could never pass without seeing custom
crs going in or out. There was evidently not
little business going forward. But although,
to all appearance, flourishing concern, the
proprietor of the establishment was surprised
10 EIlu WIS PAaiSAeN ~ ~
circumstances No matter what was the a
mount Of business transacted over the coun-
ter, he never got any richer.
At the period referred to, shopkeeping had
not attain cd that degree of organization, with
respect 10 counter-men and cashiers, which
now distinguishes the great houses of trade.
The primitive till was not vet superseded
This was the weak point in Harvey's arrange
ments sind not to make a needless number OF
words about il, the poor man was regularly
robbed bv shopman, whose dexterity in pitch
ing a guinea into the drawer, so rs to make If
lump, unseen, with Jerk into his hand, was
worthy of Herr Dobler, or any other master
of the sublime art of iugglery.
Good-natured and unsuspicious, perhaps al
so not sufficiently vigant, Harvey was long in
discovering how he was pilaged. Cartwright,
the name of the person who was proving on
his employer, was not young man. lie was
between forty and City years of age, and had
been in various situations, where he had always
given satisfaction, except on the score OF beng
somewhat gay and somewhat irritable. Pr
vately. he was a man of loose habits, and for
wears his extravagances had been paid for by
property clandesiinely distracted from his too
confding master Slow TO believe in the real
ity of such wickcdness Mr.. Harvey could with
difficulty entertain the suspicious which began
to dawn on his mind. At length all doubt was
at an end. He detected Cartwright in the We
nv act of carrying off goods to 4 considerable
amount. The man was tried at the Old Bal
ley for the offence but, through technical in
formality in the indictment, acquitted.
Unable to find employment, and with
character gone, the liberated thief became
savage, reyengeful, and desperate. Instead Of
imputing his fall to his own Irregularities, he
considered his late unfortunate employer as
the cause of his ruin, and now he bent all the
energies Of his dark nature to destroy the re-
putation of the man whom he had betrayed
and plundered. OF all the beings self-deIiver-
ed to the rule of INSCRIPTIONS malgnity, with
whom it has been my fate to come profession
allv in contact, I never knew one so utterly
fiendish as This discomfitted pilferer. Frenzied
with his imaginary wrongs, he formed the de-
termination TO labor, even if it were for years
to ruin his victim. Nothing short of death
should divert him from this the darling object
of his existence.
Animated by these diabolical passions, Cart
wright proceeded TO his work. Harvey, he
had too good reasons to know, was in debt to
persons who had made him advances; and by
means of artfuly concocted anonymous let
ters evidently written BY some one conversant
with the matter on which he wrote, he succeed (
ed in alarming the haberdasher's creditors Il
The consequences were-demands of immedi-
ate payment, and in spite Of the debtors ex-
plantations and promises, writs, heavy law ex-
penses, ruinous sacrifices and ultimate bank !
ruptcy. 1t NAV seem almost TOO marvellous
for belief, but the story of this terrible reveng
and its consequences is no fiction. Every ii
cident in my narrative is true, and the who
may be found in hSrd outline in the records
The courts with oars ago I
familiar