The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1876-09-13

| tNoAO ~ h0h alHos we reached
Shireton before night, and found quar-.
ters at comfortable tavern.
"On the following day Laban Sar.
furt called upon me and was about 60
spread his evidence for my inspection.
when interrupted him. I told him /
could not accept his confidence until I
had made up my mind TO take bis
case in hand. Something seemed to
whisper that there was danger ahead.
did not feel comfortable in Chat
mans presence. / felt as though he
was trying TO buy me. The court
would sit in four days. told him I
would give him final answer in two
days from that.
THAT evening / made a confident
Of my wife, and asked her what
should do. eff I take the case" l
said, i am sure of five thousand dol.
lara She babe me do what was
right. God has been very kind to
u.s., she said, let as look TO Him for
guidance
"After this called on the clergy
man Of the place, whose son had been
my classmate in college, and whom /
had once before visited. He received
me heartily, and by and by 1 asked
him about William Acton. The re.
suit Of all he told me is summed up in
his closing sentence; Il am sure VIM.
Acton was Philip Acton's child--in
fact, / know it-and / think the father
and mother were married. Betsy
died very soon after her child was
born, and we know that Philip always
treated the boy as a Legitimate child ;
and that be loved him as such / can
confidently affirm
"On the following morning, after
breakfast, as sat by the window in
the bar room, l saw coming from the
street the man who had saved my
child. He was walking slowly, like
one in trouble. / pointed him out
to my host, and asked him who he
was.
"That is William Acton. Perhaps
you have heard of the trouble he is
likely to have with Laban Sarfurt?"
81 said I had heard"
"I hope he may come out all right
the host added; but am fearful. He
has got hard and heartless customer
to deal with
II shut my mouth and held my
peace until Laban Sarfurt called for
his final answer. said to him:
"Mr. Sarfurt, / have been consider
ing all this time wheAher l could un.
dertake your case with a clear con-
science-whether / should be helping
the side Of justice and right in help
ing you. / had concluded that I
could not do so before had seen
William Acton, to know him by
name. / know him for a man who
nobly risked his own life to save the
life Of my child. For that deed /
will reward him if l can. have not,
as yet, accepted one of your private
disclosures; l have gained from you
nothing which you could wish to keep
from the public. l cannot take your
case, but / tell you frankly, that if
you prosecute, will defend William
Acton.
II did not mind Sarfurt's wrath.
He raved, and swore, aud stamped,
and then he went off and engaged two
lawyers from Herkimer to take the
case. called upon Acton, and told
him would defend him if he would
accept my services. as l had accepted
his. He took my hand and thanked
ME.
81 have made a great many speeches
in nv life, but / think 1 never made h
better one than made to that jury
on that occasion. They were out not
over five minutes. BY their verdict
William Acton was the lawful possess
or of the estate his father had left.
"From that day / never hesitated
to refuse a case t. which / could not
give my heart. Such a stand on the
part of o lawyer becomes known, and
the public feels it; and what the pub
lie feels juries are sure to feel.
Concerning William Acton, will
only add that he became my bosom
friend. He always felt that he owed
his title to his valuable property to
me; and knew that to him l was
indebted for the home that was mine
for thirty years. He was very deli
cate in the gift of that piece Of prop
erty. He decided it to my wife. The
husband of my oldest daughter is his
Oldest son."
-&)%-
She was an angel blonde, and she
tripped through the market until she