The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-02-06

Certainly. l am Mrs. Ethan
Jasper
"'What the wife of Ethan Jas
per, the lawyer r?' 1 exclaimed.
"The same, SIR
II was not a little startled for, as
you are aware, Jasper was well.
known lawyer and man of high
socia: position and great wealth.
~ am very sorry, madam, said.
But l have all unpleasant duty to
perfDrm.'
"In an instant every yestige ofcol-
or left the w0man's face. then | was
certain L had the right person. 1t
was another case Of kleptomania you
see.
"What do you mean ?, cried Mrs.
Jasper, in an almost inaudible voice.
|. II briefly explained the situation
tc her. She listened IN silence. When
| had finished she burst into tears.
The charge was false, utterly false,
she said. Surely / would not be 50
cruel as to arrest, and bring disgrace
upon her and her husband. The ring,
she explained, must have been stolen
from her by the person who picked
Mrs. Clifford's pocket. | informed
her that she would have an opportu.
nifty tn prove her innocence in court,
and that she would have to accom-.
pany me. If l dared to arrest her it
would cost me my position upon the
force. This and many other equally
ridiculous things she said. and finally
she tried to brlbe me. | was rs pa-
tient as l could be with her hut at
last l told her that if she made it
necessary, should be obliged, much
against my will, to force her TO go
with me. Then she summoned Il
carriage, in which she accompanied
me without any more words. A
search was made at her residence,
but the missing purse was not found.
Mrs. Clifford was sent for, and she
identified the prisoner as lady who
had stood by her side for some min
utes at Stewards lace counter. She
entered complaint against Mrs. Jas
per.
1.-THE prisoners husband was very
wealthy and influential, and of course
did everything in his power to secure
his Wife's release. Mrs. Clifford was
induced to withdraw her complaint.
and Mrs. jasper discharged. But the
stain still remained upon her name :.
many persons believed her to be
guilty of the crime of which she had
been accused. Ethan Jasper was a
very proud man, and the disgrace
which his wife had brought upon him
cnt him to the quick. But within a
week after Mr.. Jasper's discharge a
Well-knOWn pickpOcket, John Emory
by name, who was confined in the
Tombs on charge of theft, confessed
that he had stolen the ring from Mrs.
Jasper and had afterwards picked
Mrs. Clifford's pocket. There were
people ilInatured enough to say that
Emory had been paid for making
this confession. 1t happened, Curl
ousIy enough. that Ethan Jasper was
this mans counsel, and you will az
knowledge that it did not seem alto
gether improbable that he had been
bribed. But in the minds of the ma
iority of people the pickpocket's con-
fession cleared Mrs. Jasper of all
suspicion. Emory was sentenced to
term of Imprisonment, and the
matter was soon forgotten.
NEARLY two years had passed when
fashionable society Was startled by
the statement from John Emory, who
had served out his term and returned
to New York, that he had not stolen
either Mrs. Jasper'S ring or Mrs. Cliff
ford's purse, but that he had been
paid by Ethan Jasper to conf IS the
crimes. Then it came out. The con-
fession, indeed. had been false one,
and Mrs. Jasper had really stolen the
purse. The lawyer had given his
client receipted bill for counsel fees
and a large sum Of money besides to
make the bogus confession. At the
expiration of his term Emory had re.
turned to New York and gone to JAS
per demanding five hundred dollars
as the price of his continued silence.
The lawyer had paid the money and
Emory had returned again and again
until his victim had at last lost all
patience, refusing to accede to the
blackmailer's demands, and elected
the scOundrel from his house. Then
Emary gave away the whole affair.
His confession was the means of
bringing forth statements from va.
rious sh0p-keepers and other persons
frc m whom Mrs. Jasper had within
the past two years stolen money and
goods, and with whom the unhappy
husband had compromised.