Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1876-10-17
MISCEILkREoU S.
A CLEAR CASE.

! n SdAhh OADbS
! Sow often do we hear men in other pur>
~ suits-kceD To detect trickery in all call.
ingS but their own-denuunce lawyers for de,
| Tending people whom they have reason to be
lieVc guilty.
Did it ever occur to these critics that it, is
no more the lawyers province than il is theirs
! to pass judgment on accused persons That
duty is cou6ned to legally constituted tri
buuals. Goumd to hear both sides and so i'm.
portant is it deemed that none shall be con-
demued unheard, that If prisoner be too poor
to employ counsel. the court must assign it to
him, and he upon whom the burden is laid is
not at liberty TO dcclineit.' What lawyer
lsniay thns rightly be compelled to do, it can
scarcely be s.zroD.. for him to do voluutariIyz
So, at any rate, reasoned on undertaking
/ the defence of Walter Warren. against whom
4 two indictmepts were pending, one for fhcft,
the other forattemptiugtO put off counterfeit
bank nRtess 4 Ans
Tho proofs against him left scarce loop.
hole efor doubt lie had worked his way to
be Mr. Vests chief clerk, and had complete
/ " Won Che confidencssDi his employer. The
latter having occasion 10 fUrWar, large san
! to place at some distance selected yOuns
Warren TO carry Il. When ready for his
journey the money. enclosed, in m envelope
directed to the person 10 w6nIn Il was sent,
was hanIled to Warren. aud placed BY him in
an inside pocket of his coat tlierc, he insist
/ ed. he had found the pao ketsafe on rcachiDg
his destination, &hdn be immodiatOly doliv-
cred it to the eproper person
On being opened. The envelope was found
To .eoptsip he correct an9nrt Jia ul1ds pp
Mr. West was positive that tho bills he had
man of his experience could hardly he mis-
I taken Besides, thcv were on a different
bank from that by which the cnunterfeits pur-
ported to be issued He further remembered
that. before incIOsing the bills. he had in
/ Warrcn's presence, written the address Of tho
! gentleman e. whom they were tn be delivered
| on an envelope in which he had intended 70
place them. but having laid it aside tcmporari
! ly, he uas aDahie to find it afterward, and
used another. The inference was that War
! rem having secretly possessed himself Of the
mi-laid envelope, after sealing it ur with the
counterfeit notes in II, had suba:itutcd it for
/ the genuine packet, whose contents he had
! appropriated.
Mr. Vests satement was fully corrohora>
ted by that # gcntiemau present at the time
of the delivery of the money tn Warren, and
who had seen it counted.
To my conferences with the prisoner, he
strongly asserted his innocence. bu' could give
no explanation of the mysterious transforma-
ton which the money lad undergone from
good to bad, while in his possession. He had
! gone, he said, directly from Mr Wcst's ofScc
to the railway station. whittier he bad been
I accompanied by the gentleman who bad seen
him receive the money. who had occasion to
I 90 a short distance by the train. Mr..
Allgood the gentleman in question. had. for
short time. occupied the same scat with my
client, conversiDg with him on Indifferent
topics. With that exception. Warren had
had the seat to himself during tho entire
journey and he assured me he had not, at
any time, suffered halt an ho1r TO pass With-
out asccrt4inng shat his charge was safe
Mr. Allcood was a person beyond suspiciob
True he had lived but lew months in the
town bu, he was a man who carried certif
cate of character in his face. 1t was long,
thin and melancholy. 1t wore an expression
of satisfied sadness, often observable in those
who. having no faplts of their own to blS sorry
for. overflow with sorrow for the sins Of others.
He lived in snail house by himself; led q
retired, exemplary life; was devoted 10 his
books taught in two Sunday schools; and
was a candidate for the next vacant deacon.
ship. Warren himself would have scorDed to
hint at the possibility Of the contents Of his
pocket having been tampered with By such a
man as Mr. Algood.
At last the case came on. Il was called
late in the afternoon, and when jury had
been obt.ined, the cour. adjourned till mex,
morning.
The county-seat at which the trial was held
being several miles from the town 81 which
Mr.. West and Nr AIIeoo1. princIpal witness.
es for the prosecution, resided they were
Obliged to remain over night
Or course, had no hrpe oi succcssfu
result. believed my client guilty, and that
he simply lied when he said he wasn't
was vending my way TO the cour, house
next morning. pot more at loss what 70 Dc
to save my client, than puzzled what to say
to save myself from looking like fool, when
stranger tapped me on the shoulder. a
few words from him frightened me up con-
siderably. What they were will como out
presently.
! The first witness was the gentleman to
whom the prisoner had delivered the 'ai-f
bills. which were produced, Ide"t fied aud
their spurious character proven allowed
the witness 70 go withoct cross examination
as | did Mr. Wesr, who was called Dezt.
Nv client looked despnudeut IL '7ident
Iy expec,ed better show "f defence th"u
vas making
Mr. 8llgood was then mt upon 'f'e s'and
!, for the nrosecution Hi evidence tailed ex
actIv with that of TT West.