The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-12-28
A UTAH BOY ABROAD.
The Superior Court Of st. Helena.
How He Saved a British 0f1icial
from Banishment and a
Drunkard'S Grave.

- VEou q ichtoI w LIE ioanois oomcs n
MscKnight. American Consul at ST
Helena. portions of which we have hat
the pleasure of perusing, We make tn
following Interesting extracts:
Bark Victor, at sea. 800 miles Mn. w
from st. Helena, Sunday, Nov. 4. '83
i My Dear Fdther:-You will be sur
prised that my address has changed sc
the old rock has not gone up in smoke,
nor has anything serious occurred.
sm simply taking q tour for my health,
and with my wife and boy am enjoying q
real old-time sea voyage, on 8 fine
American craft, and with the canniesl
old skipper that ever ate bareback.
/ | must tell you an incident of St.
Helena jurisprudence of late occurrel ce.
The collector of customs for the Island
was arrested on g charge of embe zzle.
ment, being found short in his accounts
in the sum of 81 200. It was about time
for the session of the Superior Court, and
the magistrate com mitted him for trial
By that tribunal. The man was not 8
friend of mine, but he was the father.in-
law Of q colleague, an 1 / was anxious to
do what could to help him. There are
no lawyers at St. Helena, except the
| Queens prosecutor. went to the Jail 10
see the defendant and TO offer my SER
vices. found that he had determined to
| plead guilty and throw himself upon the
mer y of the court. knew very we'll
wast that mesnt-transportatioA for o
certainty. asked him il he would like
me to sppesr for him, and to plead his
cause. He was greatly moved, "a / was
30 much Of q stranger 10 him, and seized
my offer with enthusiasm.
This was but the day before the trial,
and he placed his case entirely in nv
hands. / should have gone to him
sooner, but was not aware until that day
that il was admissible for any person to
appear on behalf of q prisoner at the |
bar. Il seemed to me curiosity. The |
courtroom was thronged with an eager |
almost the en- ire ccmmuniuy be- |
ing present, and deeply prrjudiced
against him. Io1eed, he wss universally |
condemned before the hearing.
At the proper time / arose and ask ed |
the courts permission to appear the
prisoner. There were four justices on
the bench-the Govsrnor, the colonel
the bishop Of the Island,
and the president of the council. The
bishop alone offered any objection, and
he was overruled by the others.
The prosecution proceeded with the
Of witnesses, the evidence
proving conclusively that the money WAS
but not that the collector had
aiken it
For the defense I was satisfied with
simply examining the witnesses on the
part of the prosecution sufficiently to
show that the collector had been in the
service twenty years; that he had con.
iucted the business Of bis Office with per-
feet honesty during that time and that
during that long period there had been
40 suspicion OF or attempt at falsifcation
in his books or accounts. These Poi is |
established conclusiyely; but as l had
,hsky grounds to stand on, I Was very
careful not to 60 too far, intending to
make q determined attack On the
evidence for the prosecution, in the sum-
ming up of the jury which / was per-
nitted to do, there being 30 witnesses
,alled for the defense. spoke from q
'ew notes had made, engaging the at.
ention of the court for about three quart
.rs of an hour.
The presiding justice instructed the
ury, that the law presumed that the
prisoner had taken the money, unless the
contrary was proven by the defense; that
.s the money was In his custody, he was
for its safe keeping.
When the jury retired went ONE
Ind laid down to take nap, having been
10 nearly all the night previous. I was
he door and saying that nephew Of the
% see ne. Hurryirg to the court room,
fouDd ho in Aitoro |
udge about to order their discharge 1t
GEMS they had rendered q verdict of
mot guilty." with come confusing
After g moments re.
lection, it occurred 10 me that
he matter might be rsmedied and, with
from the court, said. "Will
our honor low the jury to deliver its
-erdict pure and simple, either guilty
r mot guilty, without any qualifications
7hatever, as should have been done?"
After q psuee, the court consented to
ais; the jury brought in verdict of
mot guilty." and my client was a..
uitted.
The aequel must not be omitted. The
ollector had been . very intemperste
nan. He has . large family. His
sugLter, The wife Of the consul at Cape
own, is q rarely fac woman, and treated
ne with marked kindness during my
tay there last lyear. It was really fer
heir sakes that Undertook his defense.
Ie has gone TO England, where he has
nfuential relations, and will remove his
amily there as soon az possible. Before
aaving st. Helena, be declared to me
hat he would never take drop OF
quor sgsin while be lived; that he
huddered at the thought of bis hair.
readth escape from gulf Of irretriev-
BILE mire. I believe him permanently
eformed.
Well, that's my 6rst case; and you
BE won it! I have described it TO you,
,ors on account Of its popularity than
ecsuse Of any learning or tact I may
ave displayed, which, in fact, think
7.s very little.
We are very comfortable and happy
n board the Victor, have q much
aore pleasant time than is possible on
be steamers that call ut the island.
one of my whaling feet are calling st
+. Helena till March next, end the
1esther there was becoming oppressive
ot, hence
'Out on the ocean sll boundlees we ride.''
Sitting in our little tent on the quarter
eek, baby asleep in comfortable cot
lade is ssa-ehair, I Am writing on an
nproviied desk, the vessel rolling en-
Painp 10 10 ON oora /