The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-04-02

|
bar'ls -four, Barlow Mills.
JACOB SHgLMIRE."
The person to whom this was addressed
had long been large operator in flour, and
supplied many of the dealers in the city.
The handwriting of this order seemed to be
identical with that in which the will was
written and the date was the same year.
looked inquiringly at Will.
"Recal Bledsoe," he said, in a whisper,
"and let our counsel ask him whose writing
that is"
did so. Bledsoe took the paper in his
hand, ran his eye keenly over it, and, in an-
swer to the question, said that this was un.
doubtedly Jacob Shelmire's handwriting.
I looked again at my clerk.
ask him." he whispered ''if he is es
sure of it as he is that the writing in the
will is Mr.. Shelmires."
made our counsel ask the question, and
the lip of the witness curled under his
moustache Certainly he was, he replied;
there could be no doubt of either.
looked again at Will.
"Let him CO." he whispered, "and go
through the same with Passmore."
did so, and Passmore clinched the evi.
dence of Bledsoe He said that the writing
in the order that had produced was Mr..
Shelmires beyond question. He would
know that writing anywhere. And Mr..
Shelmire often wrote such orders and sent
them by him. Had he ever taken any TO
Mr.. Gregg? Yes, very often. Might he
have taken this? Very easily in fact, he
remembered this particular order.
| Mr. Passmore went down with an air of
easy insolence and Will, his eyes beaming
with delight leaned over and whispered
again in my ear. He did not utter more
than four words, but they operated upon me
almost like the shock of an electric battery.
and the weight that had lain at my heart for
six weeks was rolled away. In one instant
our victory was insured
| whispered to our counsel, and he called
the name of William Wayman.
Disposing of the preliminary questions as
to who he was, his occupation, &C., our
counsel asked: "Was this paper in your
possession before | exhibited it here, just
now? ~
at was"
"Do you know who wrote that order?"
| 81 do"
'.Tell us about it,
"lDrote 1t myself last night, tor the pur-
pose Of drawing these two gentlemen into
the trap they have so cleverly walked into.
And believe that if you'll look close you'll
find my imitation of poor old Jacob Shell.
mire's writing great deal better than
theirs"
This was virtually an end of the case.
The jury began to cast indignant looks at
MIR. Bledsoe, and his companion, both Of
whom turned white and red, and looked very
uncomfortable. The judge simply told the
jury that it remained for them to say, from
the evidence, whether Jacob Shelmire had
executed the will in dispute; and, without
leaving their seats, they found that he had
not.
One of the most remarkable things con-
nected with the trial was the sudden disap-
pearance of Bledsoe and Passmore. Within
fifteen minutes after the verdict had war
rant for their arrest on a charge of perjury
and forgery in the hands of the police, but
they never found them. They had fed,
secretly and precipitately, and we never
heard of them again. can only say that
| have full faith in the truth of the words,
THE way OF the transgressor is hard "
Some days after the trial, l said to my
clerk, "Well, Will, my client, Virginia Gar
win, will not be of age for some months yet,
aud it is necessary to have an administrator
and guardian appointed. Do you know
whom she would prefer?''
81 have no doubt, sir" Will solemnly
replied, "that she would prefer me. And as
| am to become her husband in two weeks
| you will concede the propriety of the sug-
gestion."
did more; shook the splendid fellow
by the hand and wished him whole cen.
tury of happiness. And l was not above
acknowledging to him. then and there, that
, his adroitness had saved Virginia's case, and
that there was peculiar fitness in her
! choosing him for her liie-guardian.