Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1873-12-25
A CLEAR CASE.

How often do we hear men in other
pursuits-keen to detect trickery in all
callings but their own-denounce law
yers for defending people whom they
have reason to believe guilty.
Did it ever occur to these critics that
it is no more the lawyers province than
it is theirs to pass judgment on accused
persons? That duty is confined to
legally constituted tribunals, bound to
hear both sides; and so important is it
deemed that none shall be condemned
unheard, that if prisoner be too poor
to employ counsel, the court must as
sign it to him, and he upon whom the
burden is laid is not at liberty to de-
cline it. What q lawyer may thus
rightly be compelled to do, it can
scarcely be wrong for him to do vol
unfairly.
So, at any rate, I reasoned on under
taking the defence of Walter Warren,
against whom two indictments were
pending, one for theft, the other for at
tempting to put off counterfeit bank
notes.
The proofs against him left scarce a
loop-hole for doubt. He had worked
his way to be Mr.. Vests chief clerk,
and had completely won the confidence
of his employer. The latter having oc-
casion to forward large sum to a place
at some distance, selected young War
rem to carry it. When ready for his
Journey, the money, enclosed in an en-
velope directed to the person to whom
it was sent, was handed to Warren, and
placed by him in an inside pocket OF
his coat, where, he insisted, he had
found the packet safe on reaching his
destination, when he Immediately de-
livered it to the proper person..
On being opened, the envelope was
found to contain the correct amount,
but made up entirely Of forged bank
notes.
Mr.. West was positive that the bills
he had inclosed were genuine-a point
on which a man of his experience could
hardly be mistaken. Besides, they
were on different bank from that by
which the counterfeits purported to be
issued. He further remembered that,
before inclosing the bills, he had, in
Warren's presence, written the address
of the gentleman to whom they were
to be delivered on an envelope in which
he had intended to place them, but,
having laid it aside temporarily, he was
unable to find it afterward, and used
another. The inference was that War
ren, having secretly possessed himself
of the mislaid envelope, after sealing it
up with the counterfeit notes in it, had
substituted it for the genuine packet,
whose contents he had appropriated.
Mr.. Vests statement was fully cor
roborated by that of gentleman pres
ent at the time of the delivery of the
money to Warren, and who had seen it
counted.
In my conferences with the prisoner,
he strongly asserted his innocence, but
could give no explanation of the mys-
terious transformation which the money
had undergone, from good to bad,
chile in his possession. He had gone,
he said, directly from Mr.. Vests office
to the railway station, whittier he had
been accompanied by the gentleman
who had seen HIM receive the money,
who had occasion to go short distance
by the same train. Mr.. Allgood, the
gentleman in question, had, for short
time, occupied the same seat with my
client, conversing with him on indiffer-
ent topics. With that exception, War
ren had had the seat to himself during
the entire Journey and he assured me
he had not, at any time, suffered half
an hour to pass without ascertalning
that his charge was safe.
Mr.. Allgood was q person beyond
suspicion. True, he had lived but
ew months in the town; but he was
man who carried certigcate of charac-
ter in his face. 1t was long, thin, and
melancholy. 1t wore an expression of
satisfied sadness, often observable in
own to be sorry for, overflow with sor-
row for the sins of others. He lived in
n small house by himself: led n retired,
exemplary life; was devoted to his
books; taught in two Sunday-schools;
and was candidate for the next vacant
deaconship. Warren himself would
have scorned to hint at the possibility
of the contents of his pocket having
been tampered with by such man as
Mr. Allgood.
At last the case came on. 1t was
called late in the afternoon, and when
ury had been obtained, the court ad-
orned till next morning.
The county-seat at which the trial was
held, being several miles from the town
at which Mr.. West and Mr.. Allgood,
principal witnesses for the prosecution,
resided, they were obliged to remain
over night.
OF course, had no hope of a success
full result. believed my client guilty,
and that he simply lied when he said
he wasn't.
was vending my way to the court.
house next morning, not more at loss
what to do to save my client, than
puzzled what to say to save myself fro n
looking like fool, when a stranger
tapped me on the shoulder. A few