The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-07-30
AN OLD LAWYERS STORY.

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A great many years ago, while L was
comparatively = young man, and still un-
married, l resided IN q certain city Of
Pennsylvania, and enjoyed the reputation
of being the cleverest lawyer ever Known
Shere. 1t is not for me 70 say the praise
was merted, but | certainly found my
self able to discover loopholes of escape
for those whom defended, which sur.
prised even my w-lawyers. | pos
sessed by nature those qualities which
would have made an excellent detective,
and | was thorough student Of the law.
There was 90 mystery about it, but among
the more ignorant classes / had gained a
reputation tor more than human knoWl-
edge. Perhaps 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 lit
tie house in the SD urbs of the city. She
herself was of American birth. but her
husband had been a Frenchman, and so
the title Madame had been bestowed
upon her. She was now widow and her
daughter, Gabrielle, aud son, Henri, were
her only living relatives. Her income
was but slender, and she eked it out by
taking few bcarders. 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 sudden
deaths In her house. Each time the vic
tim was a stranger, who came ct night
and was found dead in bis bed in the
morning. Each time the jury was divided
some believing shat strangulation had
been the cause Of death, some that the
man had died in a IT,
1t was q terrible thing that two such
deaths should have occurred beneath her
roof. MAdame's 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 mnrderess, but every one said 1t
was every strange" in an odd tone, and
no one since that second death had visit
ed Madame Matteau.
perhaps because l had ad-
mired her great deal, and her daughter
much more-had always insisted that il
was merely coir cidence, and in world
in which apoplexy and heart disease were
80 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 il
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 muir
dered him, his watch and chain having
been found in her possession. ~
l153 o3 M&b1al8 8
Before had recovered from the shock
of this terrible bit Of news, a message
came to me from Madame Matteau. She
desired toIsee me- Of course I went tt
zee her at once. ssr.a s.aa
She had been taken to prison, and
found her in little room with barred
window, and an insufficient fire upon the
hearth. The logs had burnt in two upon
The andirons, and the white ashes were
scattered over the hearth. Almost in
them sat Madame ,Matteau,in her widows
dress of sOmber black. assa a "a y
She was chilly with grief and excite.
ment, and had drawn her CHAIR close &c
the fire. ssa.s M sa at 1st
She shook violently from head to foot
and her face was deadly pale as she