Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-11-26
The Sinful Law.

an ora lawyer whose son was to plead
for his first client the next day wa,
very anxious about it.
Are you sure that when the time
comes you will not be embarrassed ?H
he asked; "that you will not lose the
thread of your ideas ~
You can be at ease about IT," his
son replied; Il have it all at my
fingers ends. 1 will lot you Judge
now. Listen 10 me for few minutes.
We will suppose that / am already ut
the bar. Aheml Yes, gentlemen, YES :
burglary by night-theft. followed by
assassination 1t is all true; we CON
TESS to 1t. But you will not punish a
man who has been simply the dupe of
his excessive timidity. He was un-
happy-he suflered-he was hungry (:
misery, that INSCRIPTIONS counselor,
Whispered TO him: You must steal
he waited for night-for darkness-to
hide the blush Of shame which his pro-
ceedlng would bring to his face. He
arrived before n locked door. WHY
was 1t locked? l will not seek for the
cause, but | am obliged to insist that
tins was proof of defiance given by that
proprietor toward the Government
which eXpends millions for police to
protect property. But he was no dis
turDer Of the peace. Not wishing to
draw attention TO himself, he merely
.ppened a door which blameworthv
dlstrust had locked. We behold him
entering the diningroom. What Will
he steal there? Some one responds
the silver. No, that starving man is
not hungry for knives and forks: it is
bread that he wants; it Is on account
OF simple loaf of bread that we are
asked 10 cast stones at him. / know
what Is coming. If he wanted bread
Why did he search the safe, you ask me?
When one enters a house for the first
time, IS 1t not natural to be ignorant
where 1t IS customary 10 keep the bread
No, he was prevented by the arrival of
the proprietor. The theft did not ex-
lst. Then why that accusation of rob
berry? The proprietor fell upon him
without explanation, but with a great
outcry-with the very nocturnal noise
which my client had been so
cautious not TO make. 1t Is here,
gentlemen, that l call your atten-
ton to the culpable thought
lessness of the legislator who made
theft punishable by law. Let us for an
an instant suppose the code silent in
regard to this. Then my client would |
say to the other: Il have no money! ]
have taken loaf of bread, but l am
going to give you my note.
But with the actual ate of our laws,
Gustave Immediately thought of the
punishment that awaited him. His /
natural timidity made monster of the .
police, the judges, of public opinion
ETC., etc.
"And he strangled the gentleman.
When l say he strangled'-I state
what you claim to be true; but are YOU
more certain, more convinced than the
man who is the sole surviving witness
of that drama? And he offers TO give
you his word that he did not The dead
gentleman's business affairs were in
volved; he could not balance his ac-
counts; he was in that situation where
he must at once choose between dis
grace or suicide.
Il will be just to him; he was man
OF honor
WHO can say, then, that twenty Sec
onds before his meeting with Gustaye.
that miserable man, had not to avoid
his shame-swallowed one Of those poi
sons unknown to science which is all
astray about the effects produced? The
accusation of assassination falls Of il elf
Such uncertainty forbids You TO pass
sentence of death against my client
Return my poor man TO that family he
was about to enter by marriage-for,
know that he had been eight days en-
yaged TO beautiful young girl whose
'oe hope is in you, and who. in my
voice. cries to you at this moment; Re
turn my Gustave TO me?"
The young lawyer resumed his usual
tone OF voice to ask his father: Hey
what do you say to thatp
Not bad not bad!n replied the
aather, "only l find that you weaken at
lie peroration--you neglect the Jury:
here is nothing for them; il is wrong.
1--WE them something like this; mol {
40, gentlemen of the jury, my heart
ellis me in advance, you will not have
he cruelty TO slide cutoff head among
he wedding presents Of that beautiful
Ioung girlP'-TraHsldted from the /.
French for The Wasp, by T.. +. Dalo- /,
on.