The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-07-18
MISCELLANY.
AN OLD LAWYERS STORY.

AN OLD LAWYERsS STORY.
A GREAT many years ago, while was
comparatively young man, and still ur-
married, | resided in a certain city of Penn
sylvania, and enjoyed the reputation of
being the cleverest lawyer ever known
there. 1t is not for me to say the praise
was merited, but certainly found myself
able to discover loop-holes of escape for
those whom | defended, which surprised
even my fellow lawyers. ! possessed by
nature those qualities which would have
made an excellent detective, and was
thorough student of the law. There was
no mystery about it, but among the more
ignorant classes | had gained reputation
for more than human knowledge. Per-
haps it was not polite for them to say that
the devil helped, but they did.
However, began to tell you about
Madame Matteau.
She was an old lady, who owned little
house i'll the suburbs of the city. She her.
self was of American birth, but her hus-
band had been Frenchman, and so the
title Madame had been bestowed upon her.
She was now widow, and her daughter
Gabrielle and son Henri were her only liv-
ing relatives. Her income was but slen-
der, and she eked it ont by taking few
boarders, generally steady old people who
had known her for many years. These
respected and liked her; but the city gem
orally had prejudice against her. There
had been two sudden deaths in her house.
Each time the victim was a stranger who
a cams. at night, and was found dead in his
bed in the morning. Each time the jury
was divided-some believing that strangu
lation was the cause of death, some that
the man had died in fit.
If vuas a fnrrihIp thing that two Sl1ch
dea hs should have occurred beneath her
roof. Madamels friends pitied her. The
rest of the little world limited that these
were strangers, 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 a inurderess, 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 admir-
ed her great deal, and her daughter much
more-had always insisted that it was
merely a coincidence, and that in a world
in which apoplexy and heart disease were
SO common, it was no such marvel that
two men should have met sudden deaths
in the same house. But my faith in this
theory was shaken when one morning it
was published over the city that another
transient boarder had been found dead in
Madame Matteau's house, and that she was
arrested on suspicion of having murdered
him, his watch and chain having been
fond in her possession.
Before had recovered from the shock OF
this terrible piece of news, message came
to me from Madame Matteau. She desired
to see me. Of course [ went at once.
She had been taken to prison, and |
L rrysth hs,y. rod
window, and an insufficient fire on the
hearth. The logs had burnt in two upon
the andirons, and the white ashes were scat
tered over the hearth. Almost in them sat
Madame Matteau, in her Widows dress of
sombre black.
She was chilly with grief and excite
ment, and had drawn her chair close to the
fire.
She shook violently from head to foot,
and her face was deadly pale as she turned
it toward me and held out her hand.
90, thank Heaven, you have come =
she said; Il know you can save me. Is il
not horrible? How could kill man
Why should L? Why do people come te
my house to die? 70 die horribly. with
black faces and staring eyes, as il some
one had choked them? Ugh! and ne was
a pretty young man the night before. On
good Heaven, how horrible -
| sat down beside her. took her hand
''Madame Matteau,' said, ''be calm
collect yourself. AS your lawyer, must
know ALL Tell me, from first to last
what happened-what was said, what was
done. Ifyou-''
/ paused; her black eyes had flashed
upon me. / could not ask her whether
she had any confession to make. saw
that she had not. Unless she was the besi
actress who ever lived, Madame Mattear
was innocent of any crime.
s'If you have any suspicious" | added,
'stell them all to me.
"There is no one to suspect, sobbed the
poor woman.
SIN the house were Gabrielle, my daugh
ter, whom you have seen; old Hannah
the cook; Mr.. and Mrs. Beauchamp
friends of my poor, dear husband in his
boyhood-the best, kindest people; Mr.
Gray, very old man, too feeble to leave
the house; poor, deformed Miss Norman
and the librarian, Mr.. Bassford. None O
these would murder a mouse. See how
kind they are they remain in my house
they send me word that they have NJ
doubt of me. Oh. how can anybody.
Sand this man who -n began.
Yes" said Madame Matteaa, Il will tel
you; he was fair. Young. handsomely
dressed he asked Mr.. Bassford at the de
pot if he knew of anyone who could ac
cammodate him. Mr.. Bassford brough
him home. My only empty room wa