The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-08-21
AN OLD LAWYERS STORY.

tain city of Pennsylvania, and en-
ioyed the reputation of being the
Gle, crest lawyer ever known there
1t is not for me to say the praise was
merited, but 1 certainly found my
self able to discover loop-holes of es-
cape for those whom I defended,
which surprised even my fellow law
yers. I possessed by nature those
qualities which would have made an
excellent detective, and I was thor
ough student of the law. There was
no mystery about it, but among the
more ignorant classes / had gained q
reputation for more than human
knowledge. Perhaps it was not po-
lite for them to say that the devil
helped, but they did.
However, I began to tell you about
Madame Matteau.
She was an old lady, who owned a
little house in the suburbs of the city.
She herself was of American birth,
but her husband had been a French
man, and SO the title Madame had
been bestowed upon her. She was
now, q widow, and her daughter
Gabrielle and son Henri were her
only living relatives. Her income
was but slender, and she eked it out
by taking d few boarders, generally
steady old people who had known
her for many years. These respected
and liked her; but the city generally
had prejudice against her There
had been two sudden deaths in her
house. Each time the victim was a
stranger who came at night, and was
found dead in his bed in the morn
ing. Each time the jury was divided
Some believing that strangulation
was the cause of death, some that
the man had died in a fit.
|, 1t was terrible thing that two
such deaths should have occurred be-
meath her roof. Madame's friends
pitied her. The rest of the little
world limited that these were stran-
gers, and their trunks, with no one
knew what amount Of money and
other valuable property, remained in
Madame's possession. No one said
she was murderess, but every one
said it was "very strange" in an odd
tone, and no one since that second
death had visited Madame Matteau
= myself-perhaps because / had
admired her a great deal, and hel
daughter much more-had always in
sisted that it YVES merely coinci-
dence, and that in a world in which
apoplexy and heart disease were Sc
d common, it was no such marvel tina
o two men 'hould have met sudder
deaths in the same house. But m.
faith in this theory was shaken whel
one morning it was publ he'd owe
the city that another transient board
! er had been found dead in MADAME
! Matteau's house, and that she was ar
e rested on suspicion of having mur
{ dered him, his watch and chain hay
!, ing been found in her possession.
Before | had recovered from tn
shock of this terrible piece of news
a message came to me from Madam
Matteaq. She desired to see me-
Of course l went at once.
She had been taken to prison, an
| found her in little room with
barred window, and an insufficien
k fire on the hearth. The logs ha
- burnt in two upon the andirons, an
the white ashes were scattered owe
the hearth. Almost in them 81
n Madame Matteau, in her widow
dress of sombre black.
She was chilly with grief and e.
citement, and had drawn her cha
close to the fire.
She shook violently from head
foot, and her face was deadly pale
she turned it toward me and hel
J., out her hand.
80, thank Heaven,p you hay
comei" she said; 81 know you ca
RS save me. Is it not horrible? Ho
: could [ kill a man? Why should
Why do people come to my house
die horribly, with black faces an
s. staring eyes, as if some one ha
choked them? Ugh! and he was
n pretty young man the night befor
h Oh, good Heaven, how horribleP
he | sat down beside her. / took h
'or hand. -,
". "Madame Matteau," 1 said, 81
- calm; collect yourself. Asyour LAY
yer. i must know all. Tell me, fro
y, first to last, what happened-wh
= was said, what was done. If you
IS, 1 paused; her black eyes hi
r'' flashed upon me. I could not o.
her whether she had any confessit
to make. saw that she had not.
ted Unless she was the best actress wi
ever lived, Madame Matteau was
nocent of any crime.
- HIf YOU have any suspicious,
added, "tell them all to me-"
"There is no one TO suspect, sa
IT the poor woman.
". M "fn the house were Gabrielle, l
ing daughter, whom you have seen; Q
all Hannah, the cook; Mr.. and NJ.
60 Beauchamp, friends OF my poo
dear husband in his boyhood-t
best, kindest people; Mr.. Gray,
all. very old man, too feeble to leave t
cut house: poor, deformed Miss N
man, and the librarian, Mr.. Bassfoi
- None of these would murder a mou
See how kind they are; they rema
in my house; they send me word =
they have no doubt Of me. Oh, h
can anybody.
"And this man who beg
Eyes, said Madame Matteau,
viii tell you; he was fair, your
handsomely dressed; he asked y
Bassford at the depot if be knew
" anyone who could accommodate hi
Bcs Mr. Bassford brought him home.