The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-04-27

A fHalLIrNo sxxrcx.

Old Judge Remsen, Of OoWan, was fond oil
telling his early experience q the bar. Ny
FIRST case, he would say, oa1e upon me unex-
pectedly, after had waited q considerable
time for client. The way came to get II
was this:
A young girl, Helen Montressor, was to be
tried at our County Court for stealing breast
pin, valued at fosr dollars, and $40 In gold,
from the trunk Of her employer, James Wes-
ley merchant, in the town Of Bedford. The
theft which Was detected Eve weeks before,
occasioned quite talk ct the time, NJ the
girl was beautiful, and Wesley and his wife
Eunice were anything but that, besides
being generally detsstsd. People said
Helen had been treated shamefully BY her
mistress, who was jealous OF her; and L was
even limited that there had been foul play in
the prosecution for theft. The subsequent
trial Of gang Of countsrfeiters and horse
thieves had 80 absorbed public attention that
the case Of Helen Montressor was forgotten,
and no one seemed to care for her fate. But
when she was placed in the prisoners box,
her beauty riveted every eye, and when the
Judge asked her who was her counsel, and
she modestly replied she had none, and no
money to pay . lawyer, there was not
member present who would not willingly
have undertaken her case. The,Judge, after
looking round for moment, fixed his eye on
me and said, "Mr. Rcmsen, you will please
act as this young lady's COUNSEL" l started
a. though had been shot, Luckily juror
was taken i'll, and the court adjourned till
ten next morning. o. am afraid should
have made sad work with my clients cause.
As | left the court room looked ct my
watch it was eleven, 80 | had but twenty
three hours to prepare. ! called upon the
District Attorney, and asked to see the in
dictment, and the evidence taken before the
Justice Of the Peace. Az he tumblsd over .
pile Of documents in search Of the papers, be
said, 'tthe Judge must have had spite
against you, Remsen, to put you in such
tight place, and you green hand. No o.
Tense" he added, as he observed the rising
color of my cheek--"no oGense simply
meant that you.were inexperienced. There
are the documents take them home with
you-only be sure to bring them to court to-
morrow morning.. You will see that your
client has not chance"
i was annoyed at this light reference to nv
client, for whom already entertained deep
respect, and believed innocent; but l said
nothing. Fastening to my Office, locked
myself in and commenced the analysis Of nv
case. The evidence consisted of the testimo-
ny Of James and Eunice Wesley, Sarah Brown
a seamstress, Charlotte Boyce, . domestic,
and Thomos Hannegan, man Of Ill work,
employed by the Wesleys. HAnnegan's evil
denes seemed straightforward and truthful,
and 20 did the servant girls. lmade up my
mind that they were not unfriendly to my eli
ent, and that would seek an interview with
them, although it would necessitate journey
to Bedford. In Miss Browns testimony q
once detected intense malice, and determined
to harrow her numerically in cross sxami-
nstion. Weslsy's evidence was similar in
style and matter to that OF Hannegan; but
Mrs. Wesley's was full, discursive and acri-
monious-such as that t'She had always be-
lieved Helen to be viper, but her husband
upheld the troliop." TO my mind the case
seemed clear; Mrs. Wesley herself had put
those things in Hslen's trunk.
| next went to the court house, and request
cd Mr.. Mace, the sheriff, who lived in the
wing Of the building, to introduce me to the
prisoner. He conducted me to her cell. Al
though tho bolts GLANCED heavily a. they
sprang from the locks, our entrance did not
seem to attract her attention. She MAS stand
ing with clasped hands before her grated
window, gazing at the sky. The Sheriff
touched her arm, and said, "Niiss Monstres-
sor, Mr.. Remsen is the lawyer who 10 to man
age your case, and he wants to see you."-
She started, turned quickly round, and made
an inclination OF her head, to indicate her
readiness TO listen, but she said not word.
The Sheriff left the cell, and We were alone.
Conscious that every moment was precious,
said:
''Miss Montressor, we must throw aside
cov nj - AL g. - Al
painful business. believe you are inno-
cent. The thing is to prove you so. This
promises to be difficult; but / am not with
out hope. II you will tell me frankly what
has been your experience with the Wesley's,
my task may be lightcned."
then put series Ut questions, and learn
ed she was fifteen years old; that she had
lived with mrs. Wesley, who had been mar
ried about eight years /hat she had lived
with kind ola gentIsmal named Gregory,
who taught her to call him grandpa that
Mrs. Wesley, who was then called Miss Nae
smith, lived with Mr.. Gregory also; that be
seemed afraid Of Miss Naesmith that Miss
Naesmith inherited all bis property, and mar
ried Mr.. Wesley about month after he died;
that she told her not to call him grandpa
any more, for he wasn't any relation to her;
that the day on which old Mr.. Gregory died
he gave her a sealed packet, and told her not
to let Eunice see it, but to give it to GER
tain lawyer when he returned to town, for il
would make her rich young lady, and then
he cried and said he had let Eunicc have her
own way too much; that she fell asleep with
the packet 10 her lap, and when she woke up
it was gone, and she never dared ask any
question about it.; thst Mrs. Wesley hated
her, and beat her, and treated her like q
slave, and that she sometimes thought of
drowning herself, she was 30 miserable that
MIR. Wesley said improper things to her that
be was bad man, but weak, and under his
wife's control; that the day on which her
trunk was searched she WAS sent on an err
rand to the minister's, was gone about an
hour and half, and on her return was ia
ken up stairs to see her trunk opened before
she had pulled OF her bonnet and shawl;
then she was sure Mrs. Wesley had put the
things in her trunk while she was out, be-
cause she (Helen) had overhsuled il that
morning, and they were not in it then but
WHISTLER Mr.. Wesley knew about IL she could
notsay, although she rather thought he did,
because be looked guilty when his wife was
opening the trunk.
Telling the poor girl to cheer up, went to
the Sherih's sitting room, where l found
Mrs. Mace. / 1t onos informed her that in
my opinion Miss Montrcssor was psrsecut-
ed girl, and hoped she would try to cheer her
mp, so that she could enter the court room
with good heart on the morrow; this the
kind hearted woman promised to do, and
to my Office. My brain was in y
whirl. Gregory grandpa--the packet which
was to make hen a.rich young laay---its mys-
terious disappearance! What could all this
msan2 Was old Mr.. Gregory really Helene
grandfather? Was the packet his last will
and testament, bequeathing his property 70