Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-10-21

tne enllTe niSht, IL necessary, IN prepar
ing for the contest. 1 wished to clear
my clieut on the charge made against
her, expose the Wesleys, and oblige
them to make restitution TO the wronged
and pillaged orphan.
l ransacked my me mory 10 find some
thing tangible concerning the past ca
reer of Eunice Gregory and her accom-
plice, but found nothing. L had read
the story many years ago in a newspa-
per, the name of which could not re-
member. l could not prove that the
Weslev's were the same parties, and
should 1 mention my suspicious in court
the District Attorney would scout them
as ridiculous and malicious inven
tions of my own, and the Judge
would charge the jury to pay no atten
ton to them. l must rap the cha 'acters
of the Wesleys in my cross examinations
of their witnesses, and thus try to effect
the breach sufficient to justify direct
assault on charge of conspiracy against
Helen, and crush James Wesley on the
witness stand. And 1 wove my meshes
for the victim until the morning sun rays
streamed through my windows.
The court was opened, jury empan-
neled, the case called, Helen Montres-
sor placed in the prisoners box, and the
District Attorneys telling. merciless
opening of the case completed. in what
seemed to be but few momen'S of time.
Helen seemed to look more innocent
than ever, and 1 resolved that full jus
tice should be done her, if my resources
could compass such a result. 1t is in
such an hour that lawyer feels the
honor and dignity Of his position-it is
then he feels his responsibility.
The first witness was Charlotte Boyce.
She had been called by her mistress to
go up and see Helen's trunk searched;
and she went up AMI saw the breastpin
and money found in it-Iucked away in
one corner. By my cross-examination
l elected the fact that Helen had just
come home from an errend, on which
she had been sent NOR than an hour,
when her trunk was searched, and had
on her bonnet and shawl; that 'she look
cd quite innocent and unconcerned until
the things were found, and then she
semed astonished." On diSmissing the
witness, l gazed at the jury, but they
sat with stern faces, as though resolved
that nothing could make them clear the
culplit. 1 called Miss Bo;ce back, say
ing l had forgotten a very important
point. This excited some attention, and
when / asked her if Mrs. Wesley Was in
the habit of ill-trea;ing the prisoner, ev-
erybody piicked up their ears. The
girl hesitated and staInmered and finally |
said she was.
"And why do you think so?" 1 ask.
ed.
"Because Mrs. Wesley beat her once
with large club, and threatened to kill
her, and was scoldiug her. But don't
ask me any more questions, she sud-
denly exclaimed, ''or 1 shall lose my
place!"
1 glanced at Mrs. Wesley, and saw
that she was regarding her servant with
a look of intense malignity, and to an
noy her 1 appealed TO the court to pro-
tect the witness against the threatening
looks of Ler mistress.
This brought all eyes to focus on
Mrs. Wesley's ugly countenance, and
she turned fairly white with indigna-
tion. The Judge told the witness to
speak without fear, and if she lost her
place by telling the truth, she would
find plenty of better ones. Being satis-
fed with the impression made, 1 told
the witness she might go. and the Dis
trict Attorney permitted her to pass with
out questioning.
The next witness was Miss Sarah
Brown, the seamstress-a rat eyed,
hatchet-faced, dapPer little creature
She was at work for Mrs. Wesley at the
time the theft was discovered. She met
HELEN The day before the trunk was
searched coming out of her mistress
room, she looked as guilty as if she had
been doing wrong. The same day Mrs.
Wesley spoke TO her about The things
being gone, and she told her suspicious.
she thought it would be a
good plan to search Helen's trunk; pro-
posed to do it at once, but Mrs Wesley
preferred to wait. When the trunk was
opened, the things were found in it, Just
as she expected they would"
When the witness was passed over to
me, 1 asked in careless tone, how she
knew the money was in Mrs. Wesley's
room the day she had met Helen coming
thence.
"She knew it because Mrs. Wesley
had told her. Couldn't be mistaken,
for Mrs. Wesley had spoken about the
half eagle with the hole in it. which she
was going 10 present to the minister's
boy"