The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1851-04-17

AN AFFECTING APPEAL.-An ex mem.
Der Of the Philadelphia bat,-as he calls
himself whose nominauve case is Sam.
uel Winchester. got himself lin the va
catlve" by stealing a picked salmon, val.
ued at seventy five cents, from a barrel
at the door Of a groc ry store in Second
street. You would take Winchester to
be a lawyers victim rather than a prac,i.
tloner-for he is all IN rags, aud looks
like one who had ueen fed chiefly on hope
aud such aerial provender. Tue theft of
the salt fish being proved, he stretched
out his hand and addressed the bench
precisely in these words:
MAY it please your honor the prose.
cutor charges mo with the larceny of Il
fish. The charge cannot be sustained.
for did not steal a fish. but only a par, of
a fish. 1t was a fish minus the head, tail
and entrailS; the larceny, therefore, can.
not be proved to have been committed in
the manner and form specified. ButI
scoIn to avail myself of a legal quibble,
since it was 10 avoid all such crooked and
d;shonorable e~xpedients that | abandon.
ed the practice of the law. Ny con
science would not permit me to he a law.
yer; and since my retirement from the
bar, | have %endeavored to retrieve tina.
moral sensibility; that unyirlding up
rlghtness Of purpose which | had lost
during my practice as an attorney. But
such a reformation could not be effected
in a day; habit is a Thug that will cleave
TO us. sometimes. in spite of our best res
olutions. Yet the work of amendment
was in progress; many of the ingraiued
spots were removed, and my soul began
to feel like Bunyau's pilgrim, when he
perceived his burden of sin slipping from
his shoulders. With reference to my
former state. | had become quito a re
formed character, when in an unhappy
moment Of partial relapse yielded to ir.
resistabIe templation-put my hand into
this gentieman's barrel aud walked of
with his fish! have too little of the law.
yer remaining in me to deny the fact;
freely do | confess it. and the fault con.
fessed is halfexpiateG. appeal to your
Honor's cIemency, and to the fprbearance
of the prosecutor. Let ne not BIZ bound
over for an appearance at court; for
have a WV recorded in heaven, binding
myself 10 refrain from all communication
with my former associates of the bar
Oh, sir. will you u aid me tn fulfill THU
virluous r%esolu,i NJ Will you not pro
vide for your dying hour the consolator,
reflection that you have assisted a repent
ant sinner to renounc his errors aud es
chew the associations which drew hin
away from the paths of rectitudel | see
by the tear Of pity which wrinkles in you
: honor's eye. that my supplication has pre-
vailed; that | shall not be compelled L
renew those evil communications whic
) corrupt good manners" that for so tri
Hing a matter as the larceny of a pickle,
hsh, shall not again be brought in cor
tact with the contaminating influence {
the Court House! With trembling hop
must submit myself TO your Honor
disposal"
The grocer. with his handkerchief I
his eyes, b%lubbered out his wish to will
draw the complaint. and as soon as NJ
. Winchester was set at liberty, he con
PEELED the reformed lawyertn receive as
. present, the fish which had so nearlybee
the means of introducing him 10 The ba
--Phaa. Pennsylvania
E1TA old 'revolutioner' saws that
all the solemn hours he ever saw, wa
that occupied in going home one dar
n night from the widow Beans, after beit,
told by her daughter Sally that be nee
: not come again