The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-07-30
Plot 80 Ruth n Man and Capture Aas
wife-The Husband a Victim, anu
sbe Wife His I.aberaa0r.

Tie cicmcncy Of western Governor has
released. from prison an American cltiZch
who. in the circumstances causing ms ar
r,.i for felony, iChominious trial, and
.h,mcful convction, has suffered wrongs
Inconsistent with even the crlielcst concep-.
inn OF the most ordinary safeguards OF
civilization. Before the imputation oil CRIME
fell upon him he was rather obscure but
arnarpntly worthy practitioner of medicine
~ 81. Ioris. with q wife much younger
,n,n himself and Of peculiar beauty. and u
,,icnd whom he entertained and treated rs
.. hrrthrr. Attic best Of times he had h:rd
t,,ncs To rnrn suitable livelihood, and often
,,,unraiucd thereof TO his wife and TREND.
E,r the pdycrsitv of one season was pc
,luliarly severe 10 his hopes. and during
this pcriod his ruin was accomplished.
There came to him very privately mys-
fcrjou, note of arch-temptation containing
The assurance that for very few dollars ne
DicAf obtain thousands in grcenbackS,
49, -Liln,llv executed that detection would
me- impossible. AS his own pcrtina-
ions story goes, he wrot" positive
rrf1I>al to his unknown icmpter, and
.,,Rrycd that he should hear NO more
CO.,: the supposed swindicr; hut the lat
Ter. TO hi, great surprise, ut once sent
HIM 4 package OF spurious national bank
rutrs by express. Thus involrntarly nc
received into his possession the perlous
.'nl, and even while meditating It's sur
render to the authorities WAS suddenly ar
c,,tcd hv the police OH the charge OF having
counterfeit money III his possession. hnonN-
mons communications in writing had init
matted to the detective that certain amount
r spurious currency could be found in the
,,,fim's house, and the officers, taking the
n.wildcrcd accused into custody, had no
,,'rultv in finding it. Astoundca and in
al-nant, The poor prisoner made frantic
Iro,c>tation of his innocence, and repeat
l,lly explained the manner i'll which telo-
niou. forgprics had been forced upon him
hu, nc WIS without means to employ deX-
trou> counsel. appearances and his known
,.o,crty we're against him, and he was tried
a, a flon, found guilty, and sentenced to
the upnitcntiary for three years. His wife
wa. almost beside herself at this misfor-
tlnr. his friend bcwailcd him, and these
,wo. in their common grief, were drawn
into Intimacy of association like brother
and sister. What il was that first aroused
TIE lady's stlspicions Of the good faith OF
Damon toward PythiaS is not known, but
she certainly gained The idea that heart
i.,s piece OF trcachcry had been e1lccleu
l., some Interested person, ana SET III ne iei
woman's wits TO work 10 latholn IL. 10
wlrds her husbands friend she began cN-
4
hr rcriprOCa;ed with alacrity, and 80 rapidly
,III .hc lead the man on to unmaSk himself
thlt he had no time to question her motive.
Relieving that she Was really TO become the
creature of his will, and would thoroughly
4uuroyc all he had done 10 make her such,
,h;, mistaken villain boaStfully confessed to
her that he had supplied the counterfeit
money hr which her husbands ruin was
achieved, and that his sole object in the
audaciullS trick had been to remove from
lts path 4 man who stood between himself
and the woman whom he loved. The wife
heard this shameless confession with such
qupcarancc of calmncSs as she could coin
mand, llIt on the same day the prose-
cutting attorney was informed Of it.
and instantly took measures to have
ia" fal~" friend arrested. ln|ucklly
tor the cause OF justice. the traitor gained
new of his dancer in time To fly from the
States. and thus escaped capture; but upon
prulrsr representation 10 the Governor the
wrongly mprisOncd man was at once par
houcd. and r now free in his own home once
more. His story, if the papers Of st. LOUIS
civ i accurately, j. quite curious, and IN
il, most commonplace aspect may he used
- an argument i'm favor OF that instinct. or
prejudice, or habit, or whatever you may
vh!u>c 10 call il, which prompts men ut
marriage 10 rclinquiSh Ill close intimnei"S
,tit~l,ir the immediate home circle, ana
especially retain no bosom friends OF his
former DAYS. AS Il legal study, however, 1t
illustrates the remarkable idea that the laws
protection oi citizens not rich enough to
hire the brains Of lawyers, is SO imperfect as
+" maxi it possible for such a primitive and
almost clumsy plot rs the above to place Il
brand ol iniamy upon worthy man. and
pr"rurr his conviction by IN intelligent
Jury. aud ignomniouS sentence TO prison 10y
!, MT lud-r. 1t is in this aspect that the
,,,ti,r Is most curious: tor i'll the darkest
g, personal spite could not wreak greater
injustice upon It's object through pcrycrsion
II the first principles Of law.