The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-01-22
A Story By a Lawyer.

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should have patience with the
question, "Do you ever think it
right to defend a man whom YOU
believe to be guilty?' were it less
frequently asked by the people who
spend six days of the week trying TO
get the upper hand of their neigh
bors, and the seventh to circumvent
their Maker. To the honest inquir-
er, l commend the answer which
DR.. Johnson once gave to Boswell: /:
"Sir, my lawyer is not the Judge"
Was it my place, when George
Gilbert's little sorrow-worn wife,
with tears glisteHing in her eyes,
besoUght me to do what l could for
her imprisoned husband, virtuously
to turn my back and leave her tired,
struggling heart to break or not as
it mighty / was neither a prie t
nor Levite to find a ready excuse
for passing by on the other sidel
Yet what could I do? George Gil
bert had been sent out on a collect
ing tour, and had gambled away
money received for bis employers.
1t was a plain case of embezzle-
ment, and the penalty was term
of years in the state prison.
81 am sure he never meant to be
dishonest" pleaded the loyal little
woman. ''He was tempted by a
crafty and designing man, but in.
stead of running away, as others
Woald have done, he came back and
confessed his fault, offering to let
his salary go towards making up
the lost money until every cent was
paid"
Mr.. Meek, the junior partner,
was inclined to be merciful, but Mr..
Mangle, the senior, after a years
absence, insisted that the law should
take it's conrse.
l gave what poor consolation 1
could, for lawyers like doctors
must keep their patients courage
up at times.
''1n the first place I'll see Man
gle Il Meek 1 said. "Mr. Mangle
may be. brought to hear reason, af-
ter all-if he can be only made to
see his interest in such a course"
The pale and despondent face
cheered up a little. My words
seemed to arouse sort of unde-
fined hope, which 1 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-"
took the hint and came at once
to business--repeated Gilbert's of
fer and put it as strongly as posi-
BILE that more was to be gained by
leniency than harshness, of which
Mr.. ssMangle listened to with con-
seientious scoWl.
Il can not be a party to com
pounding felony" he answered,
with solemn intonation.
''Nor have 1 asked you to-" 1 re-
piled, little nettled. 81 have
merely mentioned plan of paying
back your own, leaving it to your
generosity and good Judgment to
press or not to press the prosecu-
ton"
"Oh, it's all the same" was the
cOntemptuous rejoinder; "anybody
but a lawyer, with his head full OF
quips and quibblings, could see
that. Besides, there is something
rather cool in the proposal TO re-
tain your friend in our employ, un-
der pretense of working out the
money be has stolen, with the OPP
portunity OF filching twice as much
money ia the meantime. Nice ar
rangement?'
l felt my temper rising, and not
caring to imperil my clients inter
est by an outright quarrel, took
hasty lea.e.
Had 1 been in the prisoners
place on the morning fixed for the
trial, could not have assembled the
codrt house steps with more reluc-
tance than 1 did. And when / en-
tered the courthouse and found
Gilbert and his wife already there,
and snoted the hopeful look with
which the latter greeted my coming,
my heart sickened at the thought
of the bitter disappointment await
ing them.
"The People versus Gilbert"
called out the judge, after dispos
ing of some formal matters. A ju-
ry was Immediately impaneled, and
the case opened by the district at
torney.
Mr.. 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 prisoner as
little hurt as possible. But no soft
ening could break the terrible force
of the facts he was compelled then
and there to relate.
In his partners absence he had
employed George Gilbert as clerk,
had found him competent and
trustworthy, had sent him on a trip
to make collections; on his return
he had acknowledged that after re-
ceiying considerable sum, he was
induced by respectable looking
gentleman whom he had casually
fallen in, 10 join social game Of
cards. At krst they played for
amusement, then for money; and af-
ter losing all his, in the hope ofre
trieving his loss, with the fatal in
fatuation which attends the first in
fection of that dreded vice whose
end is certain destruction, he had
hazarded and lost the last dollar of
the money he held in trust for his
employers.
Mr.. Meek's voice faltered as he
closed his narrative. He was going
to volunteer something about the
prisoners previous good character,
when disappearing glance brought
him back.
just then the prisoner chanced
to turn his head, and, catching
sight of the senior partner, who