Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-04-30
THE l. AW YER'S RIDE.
THRILLING SKETCH.

ing his early experience at the bar. My hrst
case, he would say, came upon me unexpect-
edly, after had waited a considerable time Tor
aelient The way came to get it was this
A young girl, Helen MOntressOr, was 10 De
tried at our County Court for stealing breast
pm, valued at four dollars, and twenty uVilarS
in gold, from the trunk Of her employer; James
Wesley, merchant in the town oi beuioru-
The theft, which was detected nve weeks Deioie,
Occasioned quite talk at the time, as the glrl
was beautiful and Wesley and his wife Eunice
were ANYTHING but that, besides being generally
detested People said Helen had been shame
fully treated by her mistress, who was jealous
Of her; and il was even limited that there had
been foul play in the prosecution for theft
The subsequent trial of gang of counter
letters 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 that she had
none and no money to pay lawyer, there was
not q member of the bar who would not have
willingly undertaken her case. The Judge
after looking round for q moment, fixed his
eve upon me, and said, "Mr. Remsen, will
you please act as this young lady's counsel.
/ started rs though had been shot. Luckily,
Juror had been taken i'll, and the Court adj
iOurned till ten next morning, or | am afraid
L
case.
As | left the courtroom / looked at my
watch; is was eleven so had but twcnty-th three
hours to prepare. / called upon the District
Attorney and asked to see the indictment and
the evidence taken before the Justice of the
Peace. As he tumbled over a pile of dOcu-
mcntS in search of the papers, he said: . The
Judge must have spite against you, Remsen,
10 put you in such a tight place, and you a
green hand. No Ofense," he added, as he OBJ
served the rising color of my cheek" no Ofense;
L simply meant that you are 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"
was annoyed at this light reference to my
client, for whom already entertained deep re-
sPect and believed innocent; but said nothing
fastening to my office locked myself in and
commenced the analysis Of my case The evil
denee consisted of the testimony of James and
Eunice Wesley, Sarah Brown n seamstress,
Charlotte BOyce, domestic and Thomas Han
negan, a man of all work employed by the
Wesleys- Hannegan' evidence seemed straight
forward and truthful. and so did the servant
girls. L made up my nd that they were not
unfrlendly to my client, and that / would seek
IN interview with them, although it would
necessitate journey to Bedford. In Miss
Browns testimony / at once detected intense
malice, and determined to harrow her unmer-
cifully in crOSs-eIaminatiOn. Wesley's evi
denee was similar in style and matter to that
Of Hannegan; but Mrs. Wesleys was full, dis
cursiye and acrimOniOus-such rs, that - She
had always believed Helen to be a viper, but
her husband upheld the trollOp." To INV mind
the case seemed clear: Mrs Wesley herself had
put those things in Helens trunk.
next went TO the Court House, and request
Ell Mr.. Mace, the Sheriff. who lived in the
wing OF the building, to introduce Inc to the
prisoner. He conducted me to her cell AL
though the bolts changed heavily as they sprang
from locks, our entrance did not seem to at
tract her attention. She was standing with
elasped hands before her grated window, ga
zlng At the sky The Sheriff touched her arm
and said, Miss MontressOr, Mr. Remsen is
The lawyer who Is to manage your 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 word The Sheriff left the cell and we
we're alone Conscious that every moment was
precious. said:
Miss MOntressOr. We must throw aside cere-
mony, and communicate frankly upon this
painfully business. / believe you are inno-
cent 1he thing Is 10 prove you So This
promises 10 be difficult bat L am not without
nope. If You will tell me frankly, what your
experience has been with the Wesleys, my task
may be lightened"
then put series Of questions and learned
she was fifteen years old; that she had lived
with Mrs. Wesley. who had been married about
eight years that she had lived with kind old
gentleman named Gregory who had taught her
10 call him grandpa that Mrs Wesley. who
was then called Miss Naesmith, lived with Mr..
GrogOry, also; that he seemed afraid of Miss
NaesmIth; that Miss Naesmith inherited all
ms property, and married Mr. Wesley about n
month after he died; that she told her never IN
cail hlm grandpa any more, for he wasn't any
relation a har fhaf, Il
Gregory died he gave her a sealed packa 70. and
told her not to let Eunice see il, but to give il
10 certain lawyer when he returned 10 town
Tor lt would make her a rich Young lady. and
then he cried. and said be had let Eunice have
her own way too much; that she fell asleep
WIN tne packet IN her lap, and when she awoke
u was gone, and she never dare ask any nues
tons about it; that Mrs Wesley hated heI and
beat her, and treated her like slave. and tba,
she sometimes thought Of drowning herself she
was so miserable; that Mr. Wesley s,id i'm
proper things TO her; that he was bad man.
out weak and under his wife control: that the
hAy on which her trunk was searched she was
sent on an errand 10 the ministers: was gone
hIout an hour and a half. and on her return
Sas taken up stairs to see her trunk openeJ
DeIOre she hai pulled off her bonnet and shawl:
then she was sure Mrs Wesley had put tbings
IN her trunk while she was out because s6a
theIehJ mad oyerhauled it that morning. and
tney were not IN 1t then; but whether Nj. .Wes-
iey knew about it she could not saw. although
she rather thought he did, because he looked
guilty when his wife was opening her trunk.
IeliIn2 The poor girl 10 cheer up. 1 went 10
S1o oheTiH sitting room, where | found Mrs
.dace at once informed her that in NV opin-
ION Miss Montressor was a prosecuted girl. and
h'ped she would try 10 cheer her up. so that she
EDuid enter the courtroom with good heart ON
INC ;, i.orr9" this the kInd-hearted woman prom
ised 10 do, and | FASTENED to nv ,f6co NJ
"rain was IN whirl- GregOry-grandpa-t
packet which was to make her a rich yonng
i9dy-its mysterious disappearance. Was old
,t ,ta- uIeSory really Helen grandfather Was
the packet his last will and Testament -
faeathlns his property to her And had En-
nlee N.aesinith, now Mrs. Wesley, stolen il from
IN. enid as she slept that she might clutch the
Dy virtue OF a former will which had
been forced from the old man :. He cr;aI
.'nu salI he had let Eunice have her own way
.o,,afL'., Her own way about what felt
- ian uAat had got on the track of great viii