The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-05-02
Judge Remsen's First Client.

Wv! cuuuc htUIStH vi NOWdU was IODU
telling his early experience at the bar.
first case, he would say, came upon me II
expected!y. after had waited considerat
, time for client. The way came to get
was this:
\ young girl. Helen Montressor, was
be tried at our County Court for stealing
breastpin, valued at four dollars. and TWEEN
d liars in gold. from the trunk of her e,
plove:. James Wesley. merchant in the TOW
of Bedford. The theft, which was detect,
five weeks before. occasioned quite talk
''','' 49, the girl was beautiirl and We
&c, "." n'S wife Eunice w"r 6ne ..,:-. h
fh"f' hrs'ies being generally '.s.Ested. pe
pie sad Helen had been shanetully treat.
ny her mistress, who was jealous of her an
1t was even limited that there had been TO,
PLAY IN the prosecution for theft.
The Subsequent trial OF gang of counter
letters and horse thieves h,i 50 absnrhe
public attention. that the case of Helen Nor
tre>Sor was forgotten and 10 one seemed t
care for her fate Bat when she was place
in the prisoners box, her beauty rive,ed eve
ry eve. and when the Judge asked her VIII
was her counsel, and she modpstIv rerlir
that she had none, and no money to p,v
lawyer. there was not member of the b,
who would not have willingly undertakes
her case. The Judge after looking roun,
for moment fixed his eve upon me, an,
sad, Mr., E-m<en. will You please act a
this Young ly'S couu>rl." started as tito
had been shot. Luckily Juror had beer
taken III. and the Court adjourned till tr,
next morning. or am afraid should hav,
made sad work with NV clients case.
As | left the court rom | looked at IN,
watch. 1t was eleven, SO had but twenty
three hours to prrrtte. called upon tk,
District Attorney and aSke! to See the in
dlctment and the evidence taken tstore th,
Justice o the Peace. As he tumblcd over
pie OF documents in search of the papers
he sad: 9Th" Jnd.e must have a spit,
against yor, Rrm>rn. to put YOU in such ;
tight place. and YOU green hand. No of
fence, he al led, a> he observed the rising
co!"r of my chcrk-''no oilrnse >impi,
meant that tou are Inexperienced. Their.
are the documents: take them home vii!
von-onlv be ;urr to hrin. them to court to
morrow morning. lon Will see that voul
client has not 4 chance.
. was annoyed at this i.ht reference I,
my rIlrnt. for whom entertained deep re
Spect and believed innocent but | sad moth
lng. lla>tenin. to my Office locked myself
in and rommrhrtd the ANALYSIS of nv case
The evidence consisted OF the testimony of
James and Eunire Wesley. Sarah Brown, :
>"am>trr>> Charlotte i ,>cr. domestic. an,
Thomas u nnryan. 4 man "f all work en-
rl"ycd hv the We>lrvS. liaun"uan's .vi
drnre seemed straightforward and truthful
AN! ~ did IA" servant uiri>. | made up m,
minH that tnrr were not untrIcnciv To m,
client, and thai | would seek an interview
with them. although it would neceS>i:ate 4
journey to Bedford In Miss Browns testi
monv At once detected intense malice, aud
determined to harrow her numerically in
cro>>-rxamina'ion. W.>lcv's evidence Wa,
similar in >tvl' and matter to thar of Han
nrHAn'>: hnt Mrs We>lp,'s was full. ,l,s.ur.
>Ivr and arrimoni"n>->u" As, that "Shr
had always hrirvrd Helen 10 be viper, bu,
her husband nphd the trnllnp" To NV
mind the ease sermh clear: Mrs Wesley
hrr>cl! had pu, those things in II.Ien'S trunk
next went TO the Court IIou>e. and re-
Ine>''d Mr. Maze. the Sheriff. who lived IN
the VIM OF the building. TO Introduce me to
tn" prisoner. lie ronIuc'ri me to her cell
Alth"n.h the bolts changed heavily as they
Srrarg from the locks, our entrance did not
seem TO attract her attention. She was
standing with c!asuch hands before her grated
window. gazing at the Skv The sheriff
fhp had law Il \
or, Mr.. Rrm>cn is the LAWYER who is TO man
are yonr case. and he wants to see you."-
She started. turned quickly around, and
made an inclination of her head. to Indicate
her readiness to listen, but she SAID not a
word The sheriff left the cell and we were
alone. Conscious that every moment was
precious, said:
Miss MonreSSor, we must throw aside
ceremony. and communicate frankly, unon
this 'antnl business. believe YOU are in
norent. The thin. is to prove Won so Thi,
promises to be dilirnlt. but am not withou:
hope. If You will tell me frankly. what your
experience has been with the Wesevs. nv
task may be lightcned"
then put series of questions, and learn
ed she was fifteen years old that she had
lived with Mrs Wesley, who had been mar
rled about eI"ht years; that she had lived
with kind OLD gentleman named GREGORY.
who had taught her to call him grandma
that Mrs. Wesley, who was then called Miss
Naesmlth. lived with Mr.. Gregory, also tha,
he seemed afraid of Miss Naesmith tha,
Miss Naesn'th inherited all his propertv,and
married MIR. Wesley about month after he
died; that she told her never to cal, him
grandpa any more. for he wasn't any relation
10 her that the day on which old Mr.. Greg.
ory died he gave her a sealed package. AMI
to'd her no; to let Eunice see it; but to rive
1t to certain LAWYER when he returned to
town, tor 1T would make her rich voung Ia
dy, ard he cried and said he had let Eunice
nave her own way too much: that she fell
asleep with the packet in her lap, and when
she woke IT was gone, and she never dare
ask any questions about it; that Mrs. Yves.
ley hated her, and beat her, and treated her
IKE slave, and that she sometimes thopoht
OF drowning herself, she was so miserable
that Mr. Wesley said improper things to her.
!nat ne was bad man, but weak and under
MS Vile control; that the day on which her
trunk was searched, she was sent on an or.
rama TO the ministers; was gone about an
hour and half and on her return was tai
en- up stairs to see her trunk opened before
she had pulled Oft her bonnet and shawl :.
tnen she was sure Mrs. Wesley had mt
1hinSs IN her trunk while she was out. he.
cause she lelen) had overhauled it that
morning, and they were not in it then : hut
whether Mr.. Wesley knew abou, it, she
could not say, although she rather thopoh.
he dd' because he looked guilty when his
wife was opening her trunk.
telling the poor girl to cheer up went
to the Sheriti's sitt,n,.room wb.r. 60,