Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-03-13

cd, and he asked and registered the nam'
Of the person who presented II. When
therefore, he saw the notice in the paper
the conviction was at once awakened tha
James came dishonesty by the bill which
he presented, and that il was his duty u
see that the matter was legally examined
into. Hence his arrest and present i'm
prisonment.
When George Roberts read the announce
ment in the papcr,which so startled James
he too was deeply affected. He had hop
ed the the affair had quietly passed over
He had strong personal reason for not wish.
ing to be summoned by James as wit
ness in his behalf, as he foresaw there wa:
strong presumption that his friend wo'd
be apprehended. What should he do?-
He thought if he could manage 10 gel
himself summoned by the complainant
he was safe. Taking, therefore, the paper
in his hand, he entered neighborine
store, and detailed the circumstances ol
James having the. pocket-book, Of the
spurious advertisement, the professed pay
ment Of the reward, and the unusual and
unnatural display of benevolence on the
part Of his early friend. All this was told
with such mock gravity and apparent deep
feeling Of sympathy for James, that il
was deemed important to give immediate
notice of it to the proper authorities.
The hour Of examination came. Mr..
Williams had been sought for, but no such
person was to be found. The servant who
had admitted James when he went to re-
turn the pocket book, had also left the city,
and gone, no one knew whittier. George
testified simply to having seen the pocket
book once, and then only for moment,-
The teller Of tho bank testified to the re-
ception Of the five hundred dollar bill and
the accompanying circumstances. The
evidence was, alasl too strong. II shook
even tho confidence of Mr.. Kelsey, tho
he could not refuse to become bail for the
unfortunate young man, when judgment
was pronounced against him, and he was
bound over in q very heavy sum for
trial.
That night James sat down and gave a
minute history of the affair to Mr.. Kelsey,
detailing all the peculiarities in the appea-
rance Of when he showed him tho book
how he had paused minutely to exam-
inc each. bill, though in reality he had done
this very briefly. And then he asked
Mr. Kelsey what he thought Of this mat
ter.
"That James Hardy is an innocent, no.
ble-hcarted young man, and that George
Roberts is black-hearted scoundrel' ex-
claimed the now excited Christian merch-
ant.
James could not speak-he bowed his
head and wept like child. Grasping the
hand of his noble-hearted employer. he
pressed i with a prayer for Gods blessing
npon him. Another heart throbbed with
5ladness when assured Of the merchants
decision, and that was the loving heart ol
his only daughter, a beautiful girl ofsome
sixteen summers; and holy was the prayer
hat asconded to heaven that night from
beside her downy bed, for Gods blessing
npon the youth so wrongfully and unjustly
accused.
The next mail bore to tho afflicted par
snts q full and particular account Of all
Tho circumstances in the hand writing OF
heir suffering boy. Twas severe blow,
but in the midst o,their sorrow they thank
ID God that their boy was innocent. OF
his there was not q doubt upon their
minds.
The day Of trial drew near. The best
legal counsel was secured, but ssill every
thing looked dark. The charge was, that
James had procured tho insertion Of the
advertisement and to cover himself had
osientatiously spent Eve hundred dollars Of
the twenty thousand in pretended benevo-
Icncc. Who else, il was urged, could
have gained such a minute knowledge OF
tho pocket book and its contents as to be
able to write that perfect description Of II
contained in the advertisement Not a
single number on the bills had been mista-
kcn--cach agreed perfectly with the tell
er's entry.
The day before the trial was to take
place, lad entered the store and handed
Mr. Kelsey note. Opening u he found
a hasty line from tho publisher of the
daily" in which tho advertisement had,
appeared, stating that, in cleaning up the
office, tho original copy Of the ADVERTISE
mcnt, asit was handed In for publication,
was found, and he deemed II his duty
without delay to forward ID 10 him, rs II
might bo Of much service in tho trial.
Kelsey repaired to tho lodgings Of James,
and found him thero busy with his legal
adviser. Mr. Kelsey handed james the
paper without offering any remark. The
moment he looked at IL and marked its
eoutcn,s, cry Of mingled grief and sur
prise escaped him. Tho advertisement
was In tho well known, peculiar hand writ
ing OF George. Nothing could bs plain
or.
Tho finding Of this little paper put an
entirely different aspect upon tho faco OF
affairs. They would DO able now to.prove
at least that James was not tho writer Of
tho advcrlisemcutan and to implIcato George
most fatally In the matter. As II TO
make tho matter peculiarly. favorable to
james and fatal to George, tho advertise.
mcnt had been written on n peculiar kind
Of paper, manufactured for and used sole
Iy by tho extensive house OF tho rich Mr..
Walcolt.