Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-12-09
Gittrarp MistelIanp.
A LAWYERS ADVENTURE.

~, by very pretty woman, who,
not without tears, told me her husband
had been arrested for horse stealing-
She wished to retain me on the defense.
asked her why she did not goto Judge
.. an ex-senator Of the United States,
whose office was in the same tcwn.
told her that | was a young man at the
bar, &c. She mournfully said that he
had asked a retaining fee above her
means, and besides did not wish to touch
the case, for her husband was suspected
OF belonging to an extensive band Of
horss-thieves, and counterfeiters, whose
head quarters were on Moore's prairie.
asked her to tell the whole truth of
the matter, and if it was true that her
husband did belong to such band?
"Ah, SIR" said she, ga better man. at
heart than my George never lived but
he liked cards and drink, and l am
afraid they made him do what he never
would have done if he had not drank
fear that it can be proved that he had
the horse; he didn't steal it; another
did, and passed it to him. "loEJi gA4.
didn't like the case. | knew that
there was great dislike to the, gang
located where she named, and feared to
risk the case before a.jury. She seemed
to observe my intention to refuse the
case, and burst into tears. ag EL i.
never could see woman weep with
out feeling like weak fool myself If
1t hadn't been for eyes frightened by
"pearly tears" (blast the poets that
made them come into fashion,) I'd never
been caught in the lasso of matrimony.
And my would be client was pretty
The handkerchief that hid her ripe lips,
and her snowy bosom rose and fell like
q white gull in a gale of wind at sea. |
took the case, and she gave me the par
ticulars.
The gang, (which he was not mem
Der, had persuaded him to take the
horse. He knew the horse was stolen,
and like a fool acknowledged it when
he was arrested. Worse still, he had
trimmed the horses tail and name to
alter her appearance, and the opposition
could prove it. gsT 9d =
The trial came on. | worked hard
TO get jury of ignorant men, who had
more heart than brain; itthey could not
fathom the depths of argument, or fol.
low the labyrinthine mazes of the law,
could feel Tor a fellow in bad fix,
weeping, pretty wife nearly broken
hearted and quite distracted Knowing
the use of "effect," told her to dress
IN deep mourning, and bring her little
cherub OF boy, only three years old,
into court, and to sit as near her hus-
band as the officer would let her.
tried that game once in a murder case.
and weeping wife and sister made a
jury render verdict against law, -evi-
dence and the judges charge, and saved
a fellow that ought to have been hung
as high az Hannah. hus e5a
The prosecution opened very bitterly;
inveighed against thieves and counter
letters, and who had robbed every farm
er in the region of their finest horses
1t introduced witnesses, and proved all
more than feared it would.
The time came for me to rise for de-
fence. Witnesses I had none. But
determined to make an effort. only hop
ing SO to interest the judge and jury as
to secure a Recommendation to the CUB
ernatorial clemency and slight SEN
lance.
So I painted his picture: A young
man entered into life, welded to an an,
gel; beautiful in person, possessing
every gentle and noble attribute Tenn
tation was before and all around him.
He kept tavern. Guests there were
many it was not for him to inquire IN
to their business; they were well, dressed,
made large bills and paid promptly
At an unguarded hour, when he was in
sane with the liquor they urged upon
him, he had deviated from the path Of
rectiude. The demon of alcohol had
reigned in his brain and it was his FIRST
offence. Mercy pleeded for another
chance to save him from ruin. Justice
did not require that his young wife
should go down sorrowing to the grave,
and that the shadow Of disgrace and the
taunt of felon father. should cross the
path of that sweet child. Oh, how ear
nestly did plead for them. The wo-
man wept the husband did the same :
the jury looked melting. If / could
have had the closing speech, he would
have been cleared but the prosecutor
took tho close, and threw ice On the fire
had kindled. But they did not quite
put it out. Y. -.
The judge charged according to law
and evidence, but evidently leaned on
the side Of mercy. The jury found a
verdict of guilty, bnt unanimously recon.
mended the prisoner to the mercy of the
court.
My client was sentenced to the short
est Imprisonment the court was empow.
cred to give, and both jury and court
signed petition to the Governor for an
unconditional pardon, which has since
been granted, but not before the follow
4 ing incident occurred:
/ Some three months after this re-
ceived an account for collection from a
wholesale house in New York. 80 n
| The parties to collect from were hard
ones, but they had property, and before
they had an idea Of the trap laid, I had
the property, which they were about to
fassign, before they broke under attach
Iment. - 'Hsi r0Gf =
4 Finding l was neck ahead and bound
Ito win, they "caved'' and ''forked overs
three thousand seven hundred and nine.
lty-four dollars and eighteen cents (per
/ memorandum book in good money.
i They lived in Shawpee-town, about
30 or 40 miles southeast of Moore's
1 prairie, I.received the funds just after
4 bank opening, but other business de-
tanned me till after dinner. Ithen start.
ed for c., intending to go as far
as the village of Mount Vernon that
night. II a atf a.a5r~
i had gone along ten or twelve miles,