The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-05-25
TOLD BY LAWYERS
Recalling Instances OF Their Early Profess
sional Careers.

Several well known lawyers OF this |
city were discussing case in which |
they were engaged recently, some
features of which were extremely in |
to the legal profession. After
awhile the article became wearisome |
and the party was about to break up.
when one OF them said: This case re-
minds me OF one in which / was en-
gagged years ago. 1t was in this State,
up near the Canada line,
that a young man had been arrested
for counterfeiting. The case looked
pretty black for him when l was sent
for to defend him. No one doubted his
guilt, for the case had been thoroughly
worked up and enough evidence against
my client secured to insure his convic-
ton by the most favorably disposed
jury. That is, that's the way it looked
when took hold of the case. / was
young and had reputation to make.
so set to work with a will to find
flaw in the indictment, or loop-hole
in the evidence that might be adduced
at the trial. The bank-note which was
alleged to have been counterfeited was
of an almost extinct issue. But after
search, which was several times In
clined to give up in despair, found
one sufficiently we'll preserved to ans
wer my purpose.
"The counterfeit was admitted to be
perfect in all respects except the sigma
lures. which were clumsily executed.
But when compared the genuine note
with it, Imade discovery which caused
me to feel that had already won the
case. Between the signatures on the
genuine note only was vignette so
small ~ to escape notice except upoh
the most careful and searching examin-
alton. Well, to make a long story
short, the day set. for the trial came.
The first witness for the prosecution
was the detective who made the arrest
and who was admitted to be an expert
in the matter of bank notes. He told
his story and offered in evidence the
note that had been found on the person
of my client when he was arrested.
He swore to its being counterfeit. He
knew this was 80 by the signatures. I
had my genuine note lying on the
table under piece of paper beside me,
and when / began the cross-examina-
ton asked for the counterfeit that !
might examine it. While putting
questions to the witness laid it down
on my table and by neat-slight-of-
hand trick picked up the genuine note
without being detected and handed it
to the witness, at the same time ask
ing, Is this bill counterfeit?' He
looked at 1t carelessly and said it was
for the reasons he had before stated.
That will do said /. Now, your
Honor turning to the magistrate, i
want you to take this bill and mark II
80 that you will know it again. He
did so. After calling number of peo-
pie who testified to the good character
OF the prisoner, l called the cashier Of
the bank that issued the bill and
asked him If the marked note was
genuine. His examination of it was
very careful. but he finally swore that
it was genuine. The detective was re-
called, and this time was not so posi-
tive that 1t was counterfeit.
II submitted the case to the jury
without argument, and the Judge un-
hesitatingly directed verdict Of not
guilty. What became of the counter
feitp o. I had that slowed away in a
safe place, and it is in my possession
now"
THAT was something like one of my
first cases." remarked another of the
lawyers. II was practicing in New
England and was one day called upon
to defend an old woman who was &C.
cused of the larceny of a breast-pin by
her stepson. He was the most un.
grateful man l ever met. The woman
had supported him since he was little
boy. when his father had died, leaving
her a widow. The old man left nc
property and she had worked to sup.
port herself and his son for twenty
years. Now he had lost breast-pin.
One which he said he identified as his
was found in pawnshop. The pawn.
broker said an old woman had pledged
it. So he accused his stepmother Of
the theft and she was arrested.
II ascertained that the pin was q
secret society badge and that the young
man had identified it by some symbolic
characters on its face. spent whole
day in hiring at various jewelry stores
exactly similar pins. When the young
man was put on the witness-stand he
swore that he knew the pin found il
the pawnshOp was his because OF the
symbolic character engraved on it and
because no member of the society would
dare pawn one and only members could
have them. You can imagine his sur
prise when 1 produced dozen such
badges and proved by the jeweler.