Daily globe., 1879-10-12
ACCIDENTALLY INNOCENT.
A LAWYERS Story

y
No lawyer likes gong into court with q
thorougly bad case-yet how can he Eelr
it sometimes? I should have more pa.
tience with the question, "Do you eve1
think it right to defend man whom YOU
believe to be guilty?" were it less fre.
quently asked by people who spend six
days of the week trying to get the upper
hand of their nei ghbors, and the seventh
to circumvent their Maker. To the hon.
est Inquirer commend the answer DR.
johnson once gave to Boswell: "Sir, the
lawyer is not the judge"
Was it my place, when George Gilbert's
little sorrow-worn wife, with tears glis.
tening in her eyes, besought nc to dc
what I could for her imprisoned husband
virtuously to turn my back and leave he1
tired, struggling heart to break or not, as
it might? I was neither priest nor a
Levlte to find a ready excuse for passing
by on the other side Yet what could
do? George Gilbert had.been sent on a
collecting tour, and had eambled away
money received for lis employers. It
was plain case Of embezzement. and
the penalty was term Of years in the
State Prison.
'l'm sure he never meant to be dis.
honest" pleaded the loyal little woman
she was tempted by u crafty and design
ing man, but, instead Of running away
as others would have done, he let his whole
salary go toward making up the money.
till every cent was paid. Mr.. Meek, the
junior partner, was inclined to be merci-
ful; but Mr.. Mangle, the head Of the
house, who returned just then, after a
| years absence, insisted that the law
| should take its course"
gave what poor consolation I could,
for lawyers, like doctors, must keep theil
patience, courage up at times.
sin the first place I'll see Mangle s.
Meek" l said. "Mr. Mangle may be
brought to hear reason, after all-1f he
can be only made to see his interests in
it."
The pale and despondcnt face cheered
up little. My words seemed to have
inspired sort Of underlined hope, which
l was far from feeling myself.
Mr.. Mangle received me with stony DO
likeness.
"Young man." his manner said, "don' t
waste time in appeals to sentiment: you
won't, If you'll just look at me-
took the hint, and came at once to
business; repeated Gilbert's offer, and put
1t as strongly ly as possible that more was
to be gained by leniency than harshness,
all of which Mr.. Mangle listened to with
a conscientious scowl,
81 cannot be party to compromising
teiony,' he answered, with solemn
intonation.
"Nor have asked you," I replied, a
little nettled. II have merely mentioned
a plan OF paying back your own, leaving
1t to your own generosity and good
Judgment to press or not press the prose-
cutiOn."
30, it's all the same,'' was the contemp-
tuous reiolnder; ''anybody but lawyer,
with his head full Of qui ps and quiz.
bles, could see that. Besides there's some
thing rather cool in the proposal to re-
tain your friend in our EN- ploy, under
pretence of working out the money he
has stolen, with the opportunity of fitch
ing twice as much money in the mean
time"
| felt my temper rising, and not caring
to imperil my clients interest by an out
right quarrel, took hasty leave.
Had been in the prisoners place Ion
the morning fixed for the trial, I could
not have ascended the court house steps
with more reluctance than I did. And
when | entered the courthouse, and
found Gilbert and his wife already there,
and noted the hopeful look with which
the latter greeted my coming, my heart
slckened at the thought Of the bitter
disappointment awaiting them.
"The people versus Gilbertv' called
out the judge, after disposing of some
formal matters.
A jury was Immediately impanelled,
and the case opened by the district attor-
ney.
MIR. Meek was the first witness. The
nervous, hesitating manner in which he
gave his evidence would have greatly
damaged its effect, had it not evidently
arisen from disposition to do the pris
oner as little hurt as possible. But no
softening could break the terrible force of
the facts he was compelled to relate.
In his partners absence he had employ
ed George Gilbert as clerk; had found
him competent and trustworthy; had
sent him on trip to make collections;
on his return he had acknowledged that,
after receiving considerable sum, he
was induced by respectable-l e-looking
gentleman, with whom he had casually
fallen in, to join a social game of cards.
At first they played for amusement, then
tor money; and, after losing all his own,
III the hope of retrieving his loss, with
the fatal infatuation which attends the
first Infection Of that dreadful vice whose
end is swift destruction, he had hazarded
and lost the last dollar of the money he
held in trust for his employer.
Mr.. Meek's voice faltered as he closed
his narrative. He was going to volur
teer something about the prisoners pre-
vious good character, when disapprov
ing glance from Mr.. Mangle brought him
to halt. -.
lust then the prisoner chanced to turn
his head, and catching sight of the senior
partner, who had just entered and was
standing among the crowd, he started
quickly, then he whispered hurriedly in
my ear.
"Turn aside your face" I whispered
back. And the case for the prosecution
being closed. Have you any witnesses
for the defence?" inquired the Judge.
II will call Hezekiah Mangle,n re-
piled.
A buzz of surprise greeted tho on