The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-02-12
THE HYeocR1TE UNMASKED.
A Short but Interesting Story by a
Criminal Lawyer.

No lawyer likes going into court
with q thoroughly bad case-yet
how can he help it sometimesY 1
should have more patience with the
question, do you ever think it
right to defend a man whom you
believe to be guiltyT were it less
frequently asked by people who
spend SIX days of the week seeking
to get the upper hand of their
neighbors and the seventh to cir
cumvent their Maker. To the hon
est inquirer / commend the answer
DR.. John son once gave to Boswell:
''Sir, the lawyer is not the Judge"
Was it my place, when George
Gilbert little sorrow-worn wife,
with tears glistening in her eyes,
besought me to do what i could
for her imprisoned husband, virtu
ously to turn my back and leave
her tired, struggling heart to break
or not, as it might? l was neither
a priest nor Levite to find a ready
excuse for passing by on the other
side! Yet what could l do2 Geo.
ing tour and had gambled away
money received for his employers.
1t was a PLAN case of embezzlement
and the penalty was term of years
in the state prison. "Pm sure he
never meant to be dishonest"
pleaded the loyal little woman. ''He
was tempted by q crafty and design
ing man, but, instead of running
away, as others would have done,
he came back and confessed his
fault, offering to let his whole sal
airy go toward making up the lost
money till every cent was paid. Mr.
Meek, the junior partner, was in
chned to be merciful. but Mr.. Man
gle, the head of the house, who re-
turned just then, after a years alb
sence, insisted that the law should
take its course"
1 gave what poor consolation
could, for lawyers, like doctors.
must keep their patients' courage
up at times.
AIN the first place, I'll see Mangle
& Meek" 1 said. "Mr. Mangle may
be brought to hear reason, after all
IF he can be only made to see his
interest in it."
The pale and respondent face
cheered little. My words seemed
to have inspired a sort of unde>
fined hope, which l was far from
feeling myself.
Mr. Mangle received me with
stony politeness.
"Young man." his manner said,
don't waste time in appeals to sen
timent-you won't. if you'll just
look at me-" r.
Itook the hint and came at once
to business-repeated Giibert's Of
fer, and put it as strong as possible
that more was to be gained by len
ieRcy than hRrSnness, all of which
Mr.. Mangle listened to with a con-
scientious scpwl. ...
81 caIuot be a party to cons
pounding felony" he answered
with a solemn information.
Nor have Iasked you," l replied,
a little Iettled. al have merely
mentioned plan of paying back
your own, leaving it to your own
generosity and good judgment TO
press or not press the prosecution.
30, it's all the same" was the
contemptuous rejoinder-"anyb body
but lawyer, with his head full OF
quips and bubbles, could see that.
Besides, there's something rather
cool in the proposal to retain your
friend IN our employ, under pre-
tense OF working out the money he
has stolen, with the opportunity of
Itching twice as much money in the
meantime.'
1 felt my temper rising, and not
caring to imperil my clients inter
est by an outright quarrel, took
a hasty leave. .sl.t
Had l been in the prisoners place
on the morning fixed for the trial,
could not have assembled the court
house steps with more reluctance
than l did. And when l entered
the court house and found Gilbert
and his wife already there, and
noted the hopeful look with which
the latter greeted my coming, my
heart sickened at the thought of the
bitter disappointment awaiting
them.
"The People versus Gi.bertp'
called out the judge, after di posing
of some formal matters.
A jury was Immediately impan-
eled, and the case opened by the
district attorney.
Mr.. Meek WAS the first witness.
The nervous, hesitating manner in
which he gave his evidence would
have greatly damaged its effect, had
1t not evidently arisen from q dis
position to do the prisoner 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
employed George Gilbert as clerk,
had found him competent and trust
worthy, had sent him on a trip to
make collections-on his return he
had acknowledged that, after recelv
ing considerable sum, he was in~
duced by a respectable looking gen
tleman, with whom he had casually
fallen in, 20 JOIN a social game of
cards. At first they played for
amusement, then for money, and,
after losing sll his, in the hope of
retrieving his loss, with the fatal
infstuation which attends the first
infection of that dreadful vice
whose end is swift destruction, he
had hazardsd and lost the last dol
lar of the money he held in trust
for his employers.
Mr.. Meeks voice faltered as he
closed his narrative. He was going
to volunteer something about the
prisoners previous good character.
when q disapprovlng glance from
Mr.. Mangle brought him to a halt.
Inst then the prisoner CHANGED