The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-06-30
A LAWYERS ADVENTURE.

Then, husband, hear atd stlll fofheaT
BE gentle 20 thy wife
LAWYERS ADVENTURE.
About three ~ four years ago, more OF
less, was practising law in Illinoi. on
pretty large circuit. I was called ON ous
day in my Office, in the town OF c, by
very pretty woman, who, not without
tears, told me her husband had been arrested
for DEMONSTRATING. She wished tn retain me
on the defence | asked her why she did
not 81 to Judgc b.. an ex-senator Of the
United States, whose office was In the same
town, | told her that was young man 1t
the bar, etc. She mournfally said that he
had asked retaining lee above her means,
and besides, did not want to touch the case,
for her husband was Suspected of belonging
70 m extensive band Of horse thieves and
countcrfeitcrs whose head quarters were On
Moorr's prairie.
asked her 10 tell me the whole truth al
the matter, and if IL Was true that her hus.
hand did belong to such band
"Ah, sir" said SHE, "a better mana the art
than my Gesrye never lived bat he liked
cards and drink, and | am afraid they made
him do what he never would have done il b.
had not drank frar that IL can BE- proved
that h. had the horse he didn't steal il /;
another did, and passed il to him.
] didn't like the case. knew that therc
was great dislike Ia the gang located VII ~
she named, and fetr.d "a risk tho case bciorc
jury. She seemed to Observe my intention
to refuse the case, and burst into tears.
] never Gould ~ec woman wctp without
feeling like a weak Eeol myself Ifit hadn't
been tor eyes frightened by peariy trars,n
| blast the poets that made them Ia come in
fashion by praising 'em), III never been
caught IN the lasso II nlatriinony And my
would.be client Was pretty. The handker-
chief that hid her streaming eyes didn't hide
her ripe lip, and her snowy bo-om rosc and
fell like white gull in gale II wind Il sea
! took the case and she gave n,- the Iarticn
lsr-.
The gang, ii which he Was not member,
had persuaded him In take the horse. HI
knew that Il was stolen, and like a fool ~.
knowledgcd IL when hc was arrested. Worse
still--he had trimmed the horse. tail and
name to alter his appearance, and the opp
sition could prove Il.
The trial came on. worked hard Co get
jury 81 ignorant men, wlru had more heart
than brain. Win, if they could not iathon
The depths I'll argument, or follow thu laby-
rinthinc maxcs IT the law, could feel Cor n
young fellow Ia bad fla, weeping. pretty
wifc, nearly broken hearted, and quite dis.
tractcd. Knowing the use of effect
told her Ca dress in deep mourning. and
bring her little chcrsb IL hoy, only three
years old, into court, and to iii q near her
husband - the ofliccr would let her tried
that game Ossce IN . murder ease and a
weeping wife and sister made jury render
verdict against law, evidence and the
judges charge, and save fellow that ought
to have hecm hung ~ high - Hannah.
The prosecution opened very bitterly; in.
weighed against Thieves aud cuunterSriters,
who had made the land terror 70 strangers
and travellers, and who had robbed every
farmer in the region of their finest horscs.
II introduced witnesses and proved al and
more than feared Il would.
The time came iar me to rise Cor defence.
Witncsses--l had none But determined
70 make an s6ort-only hoping 80 to interest
the judge and jury ~ 70 secure . rccum-
mendation 20 gubernatoriAl clcncncy and q
light sentence. So painted this picture.
A young IMAM entered into lie welded to
N angel; beautiful in pcrson, possessing
every gentle and noble attribute. Teupts-
ton was bclnrc and all around him He
kept . tavern. Guests there were many;
it was not for him to inquire into their busi-
mesa; they were well dressed; made large
bills and paid promptly At IN uneuarded
hour, VIXEN he was insane with the LIQUOR
they urged upon him, he had devistcd ffom
the Path of rcctitndc. The demon of alco-
hol reigned in his brain; and it was his Rrri
offence. Mercy pleaded Cor another chance
to ave him from ruin. Justice did not n.
quire that his young wife should 20 down
sngsOwimg "a the grave, and that the shadow
a disgrace and the taunt II fclon father
should cross the path II thst sweet child.
q, how earnestly did plead fsr them The
woman wcpt; the husband did the sasne;
the judge fidgeted and rubbed his eyes; the
jury looked melting. II I could have had
the closing speech be- wosild have been
cleared; but the prosecution had the close,
and threw ice on the fire had kindled
But they did mt quite put IL out.
The judge charged according % Law and
evidence, but evidently leaned On the eide
a mercy. The jury found 4 verdict q
guilty, hut unanimously recommended the
prisnner 10 the mercy az thc court. Nv
client was sentsnced Ca the shortest impris-
onuNent the court WAS empowered % give,
and hosh jury AMI cAirt signed petition 10
the Governor f1 an unc additional pardon,
hut mt beShw the following incidcnt ar
curr~d
Some three months af(er this, rccr;yed
an accasnt fDg collection frum Wholesale
house In New york. The parties to collect
from werc hard onrs, hut they had property,
and before they had m idea II the trap laid,
hAd the pNperty, which they were abosst
70 asign before they hsukc, under attach
meat. Finding wAs meek ahead and bnsnd
n win, they "cased in" and "Iorked over y
three thousand seven hnndr~d and ninety
four dollars and eighteen cents, (per mcmo-
ranslum book, in gDnd money. They lived
IN ShAwneetown, about thirty -tivc a. erty
miles southeast nf Monre's prairie. I re-
ceiyed the hsa,ls just aticr hank opening, bat
other business detained me till alter dinner.
then started for c., intending n ~ 4,
far . the village of Nj. Vernon that night.
bad gone along ten OF twelve miles,
VIXEN noticed = splendid team II slnsll,le
hosses, astached q . light wagon, il which
wcre seated four men, evidently on the high
strung order. They swept past = H 60
show how easily they could do IL. They
shostened in and allowed me 70 come an
with them, and hAiling mae ask<d me- 10
..wet," 90 In other words diminish the CON
tents II Jug q old rye they had aboard,
but excused myself with the Iplea that |
hAd plenty On board. They sSked me how
hr wae going. ] told them o. Gar n Mt.
| Vernon, II my horse didn't tire out. They
neueinaed pleasant tavern ten az twelve
miles ahead, . . nice stopping place, cd
thcn drove On.
did not like the looks al shoae tellows
s0r their srti0a. but | was hound 10 TO