Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-09-03
StItttto Storp.
An Old Lawyers Story.

a great many years ago, while |
was comparatively young man, and
still unmarried, l resided in n certain
city Of Pennsylvania, and enjoyed the
reputation of being the cleverest law
yer ever known there. 1t is not for
me 10 say the praise was merited, but
certainly found myself able TO discov.
er 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 l was o
thorough student Of the law. There
was no my stery abont it, but among
the more ignorant classes had gained
reputation for more than human
knowledge. Perhaps it was not po.
lite for them to say that the devil help
ed, but they did.
However. began TO tell YOU about
Nine. 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 French
man, and so the title Madame had
been bestowed upon her. She was
now widow, and her daughter Cab
rielle and her son Henri were her only
living relatives. Her income was but
slender, and she ekcd it out by taking
O few boaIders, generally steady old
people who had known her for many
years. These respected and liked her /;
but the city generally had a prejudice
against her. There had been two sud
den deaths in her house. Each time
the victim was stranger who came
at night and was found dead in his
bed in the morning. Each time the
jury was divided-some believing that
strangulation had been the cause OF
death, some that the man had died in
q fit.
1t was terrible thing that two such
deaths should have occurred beneath
her roof. Madame's friends pitied
her. The rest of the little world hint
ed that these were strangers, and
their trunks, with no one knew how
much money and other valuable prop
erty, remained in madame's posses
sion. No one said she was a murder
ess, but every one said it was "very
strange in an odd tone, and no one
since that death had visited Nine.
Matteau.
myself-perhaps because had ad.
mired her q great deal. and her daugh-
ter much more-had always insisted
that it was merely . coincidence, and
that in world in which appolexy and
heart disease were so common, it was
no suca marvel that two men should
have met such sudden deaths in the
same house. But my faith in this
theory was shaken when one morning
it was published over the city that an.
other transient boarder had been found
dead in Mime. Matteau's house, and
that she was arrested on suspicion ol
having murdered him, his watch and
chain having been found in her posses.
zion. ....
Before 1 had recovered from the
shock Of this terrible piece of news. Q
messenger came to me from Nine. Mat
teau. She desired to see me. d
course went to her at once.
She had been taken to prison and
found her in little room with bar
red window, and an insufficient fire up
on the hearth. The logs had burnt
in two upon the andirons, and TIN
white ashes were scattered over the
hearth. Almost in them sat Nine
Natteau, jn her widows dress of som
bre black. s e.
- she was chilly with grief and excite
tmeAt, and had drawn her chair clos