Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-10-22
j. SiusuInr and Improbable Story.

I
| ;ngton recalls to mind the memorable impcach
mept trial, 10 which be was defendant, toward
the close of his term Of otic" as President Of
the United States The late Cornelius Wendell
who was familiar with the incidents Of hat trial
and an actor in some of the most important OF
them, used to say that NJ. Johnson $ acqulttal
was attributable not as many supposed. to the
ability and the clrquencc Of the distinguished
counsel employed iy hun, but to the use OF
money. We never understood that Alr. john
son himself furnished any part Of the sum paid,
although the parties who advanced it unqles-
tiouaby counted upon personal advantages to
themselves to result FROM his appreciation and
gratitude after the trial should be over. Mr.
| Weudell's story was as follows: -sg-:'-.
The idea of saving Mr.. johnson had been nj
most wholly relinquished by his friends his
conviction seemed foregone conclusion, and
WAS almost universally spoken OF rs certain,
when one Sund+y,, whil4. Mr.. Wendell was sit,
| ting in one of the public rooms 1T Browns Hotel
since changed TO the Metro olitan-ne was nc
cosLed by an acquaintance, who asked wv end
ell do you want to bet n hundred thousand dol
lars that johnson will be convicted; because II
you do will take the bet. :.
| Mr. Wendell said he At once comprehended
what the proposition meant and after little
further conversation requested little time IN
which to make, up his mind, and appcutel
later hour ia the same day for another meeting
with the party who had nude it,
81 flew roun :" continued Mr.. Wendell, land
after seeing several persons, found that l could
raise StO 900; so when this uan came back again
| said to him, l will bet you $40, 0UO.
ii don't want to bet StO, 00O,' was the instan
taneous reply, Il offered to bet you SlOo,WDi If
YOU do not wish TO take that we vii! let the
Instter drop, l will bet that or nothing; no
Wendell now perceived thnt tho man WAS I'M
uucs,ionaby in earnest, and that if nc took the
bet the result would be one Of two tll!ngs-John-
son would be acquitted or he would win hun
drcd thousand dollars. dc requested 1urther
time, which was accorded, with the understand
ing however that Mt the neXtinterview the moR-
cy was to be plr up or the negotiation was to be
ut An end.
| Mr. Wendell knew where and to whom to go
| 10 raise money for such II purpose; no MIN In
the country knew better; and although such q
sudden demand for 50 large sum taxed his eli
ergies severely, he succeeded in getting the
amount together within the time limited. The
| terms of the bet were fully complied with and
| the money WAS put up
President johnson, ms we all know to be his
torical fact was acquitted but very few persons
in The country nave hitherto understood how 1t
WAS DONE
Mr.. Wendell said that some of the money
went to quarters which would have been among
the last 10 be suspected, where's certain Senators
! against whom suspicion was most rife never
! touched dollar OF the money MI Wendell
also said that they had several more votes sccur
ed to be given in favor of acqutta: in case they
| should be required to accomplish that result;
but if not needed to sc4ult, then to Or cast for
| conviction.
One of the most curious things ah out the whole
| transaction was the manner III which the money
was paid over after the. .acquittal mad taken
| place 1t was not handed directly over from
| one of the parties TO the other but WAS lost by
one to the other in play At cards.-N. J. SIN.
NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH IN BANK
VAULT "A singular accident occurred IN
Griswold street banking house, last Saturday
nooH, by which one of the persons employed 10
the establishment came near losing his lite
through suffucation.
| It a,pears that the gentleman ha! occasion to
! enter the inner chamber OF the vault, about hl-
teen minutes before the hour for closing the
| bank when an assistant in the cash department,
who has charge OF the keys, came along, and
carelessly slammed the inne: door and locked 1t.
UnconslioUsly he had imprisoned = human be-
ing; he forced the massive outer door OF the
vault into position, turned the key, and deposit
| ing it in his pocket took his customary station
81 the desk.
In the business routine. Of this establishment,
the day books are regularly posted before clos
ing in order that interruption may occur on
reopening for afternoons Transactions, ana the
involuntary prisoner who superlGtends THIS de-
partment, not being present TO give t:e usual
-,
come of him. After few moments patient
| waiting a messenger boy was despatched to
| hunt hIm up. As the mans hat and coat were
hanging on a rack 1t Was apparent that ne
could. not have gone far, and it Was decided To
wait for him until II clock before closing the
books. The City Hall bell soon toiled that hour,
and the gentlemen engaged in the bank prepared
to 90 to dinner, leaving one of their number at
the door in charge of the missing mans clothing
| In going out the teller remarked in a Joking
manner that their colleague had been lmprison-
cd in the vault. This caused the gentleman who
closed it so much uneasiness that ne at once de-
cided, Notwithstanding the burst OF laughter
which his undertaking might create, TO SWING
| both doors OF the vault and walk in. This was
| imm ediately done, when, to the horror of those
outside, he utt red shrek and called for assist
ance. To rush into The vault and turn on the
gas, which had become extlnguished, wss but
! the work of an instant, when the PROSTATE form
of the poor fellow WAS discovered in 8 position
which revealed his sufering:, and showed how
lizard he had strugg ed TO regain his liberty
The apparently liteless body was carried out
of the vault and placed on Soia in the directors
parlor. Several physicians were immediately
summoned who, aided by the bank employees,
made every possible effort to reSuscltate him.
| After h.lt hours sssidupus labor, during
| which time proper reSLoratlTes were applied,
they were rewarded by perceiving unmistAkaDe
signs of the return OF animation Un1cr advice
of the attending physicians he WAS placed IN
| carriage and conveyed to his home, where he
shortly afterward returned to Consciousness.
He says that when the doors were locked on
him he cried at the top OF his voice with but
faint hope of being heard outside. He shook the
inner door until il ratified on its hinges, but all
in vain; and after having resorted to every
means in his power to liberate himself from his
tomb. exhausted by excr!ion and sthed BY the
close air Of the vault he fell hclplessly to the
stone floor to meet his seeming inevitable doom
| He soon after became nsensible, and but for the
timely discovery OF his Whereabouts the escape
Of ga: and the fetid atmosphere of his hermeti-
caiIy scaled iron coffin would soon have consum-
mated their deadly work.-DttFoU Free Press.
THE T1cuBoRNE CASE If "the person
who claims to be Arthur Orton," aud who is
| described as having just arrived in Lordon
should really happen to make good his claim.
the denoument will certainly be one Of the
straneest 10 all judicial history; for it must not
be forgotten that the prosecutors Of the Itch,
borne claimant have rested the main force of
their case upon the proof that the claimant is