Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1892-06-25
A LAWYERS STORY.
How a Friend Was Saved from
the GalloWs.

An "S'
The most curious and interesting
case of circumstantial evidence in my
practice was that of Nat Ford. 1t &C.
cured when | was a much younger
man than / now am. In fact, ! had
never had a criminal case, and was be-
ginning to wonder if cver should have
one, when l received the following telc-
gram:
81 am arrested on n charge of murder. You
must defend me, Come at once. NAT"
Nat Ford had been my friend from
boybood. Left an orphan at an early
age, he had been adopted by u bach
elor uncle who was said to be very
wealthy. His home, called Winthrop
place, was like many southern man
sions of that period-very large, with
numerous wings, and a double piazza
on three sides. | had visited Nat more
than once and remembered the house
very distinctly.
l wondered whom Nat could have
been accused of having murdered. He
was rather of a wild boy, but not at all
quarrelsone; and he never had an en-
envy in the world. 1t was of no use
wondering; the Telegram gave mo no
cue and | must wait till | reached my
destination.
In response to my telegram that ]
would arrive on the next train, I was
met at the station by old Aleck, the
coachman, with the Winthrop ca rriage.
He greeted me very sorrowfully. |
could hardly wait till we were on the
way when | began my questioning.
"Aleck, what is all this trouble
about?'
ivy bre IS yo' soul, Massa Harry,
Amt yo' done heard it?" Aleck looked
wonderingly at me. Somebody done
killed ole massa, an de hossifers says
twas Massa Nat"
could not repress an exclamation of
horror.
NAT never could have done such a
thing!" ! said.
Goose he nebba; we all knows dat.
You'll sabe him, Massa Harry, you'll
tell de hossifers he didn't, won't you?"
assured the old man that | would
do everything in my power. / then
asked him for a detailed account of the
tragedy.
Nobody doan' know much bout hit.
Ole massa was a-writin' in his room at
midnight wen de ole woman w~entdown
kitchen fo' hot watah 70 her newralgy.
Den bout half hour arter we done
heard Massa Nat leave his room an
nebba heard i'm come back. Mex
mo'nin' we done fin ole massa dead on
de flo, an ma'ks on is neck wha' some
body done choke i'm"
"Horrible!" l exclaimed. "But why
was it done?"
"Fo' money. Dey say dere's heaps
OBJ it gone"
could learn little more, ana the re-
mainder Of the fve-mile journey was
made in silence.
l had expected to find Nat looking
worried, but | was not prepared to
meet the haggard, wild-cyed man whom
found in a cell at the Jail, when | ran
down there after su PIPER.
We had a long conversation, but |
could learn little Of importance. Nat
had gone to the library for a DO ok
about midnight or a little later on the
night of the tragedy. He saw his uncle
writing in his room as he passed the
door. After spending some time in Sc
lecting a book, he returned with it to
his apartment; and noticing as he
passed that the door was closed and the
light extinguished, supposed that his
uncle had retired. The deed must
have been done while he was in the
library.
At the inquest it had been shown
that the old man had been strangled in
his chair by some one who seized him
from behind. There were no marks OF
violence except the livid fngerprints on
his throat, and no sign of any struggle.
But the most damaging testimony
against Nat was the discovery of his
scarfpin which had dropped down the
collar OF his uncle's coat, and was found
by the coroner This, it was argued,
could not have occurred unless Nat had
stood behind Mr.. Winthrop in the posi-
ton n must necessarily take to COM
init such a deed.
The safe door was standing ajar; all
the money and papers were missing.
The drawers of the desk, too, had been
rifed.
This was bad enough, but l questioned
the servants.
Alexis wife repeated what Alcck had
said; that when she went to the kitchen
for hot water at midnight Mr.. Win
throp was writing in his room. Shortly
after her return, theyAboth she and
Aleck-heard Nat leave his chamber
and 60 along the hall toward his
uncle's room. They fell asleep shortly
afterward, and neither of them heard
him return.
Old Hetty, whose room was on the
first floor beneath Mr.. Winthrop's, was
awakened some time in the night by a
sound of a weight falling on the piazza
without. But she had no idea what
time 1t was, and the noise might or
might not have had any hearing on the
crime.
This was absolutely all that I could
learn Of the matter. Personally, | was
satisfied that Nat was innocent; but
from the data at hand it seemed impos-
stble to establish his inn ,,ence in court.
Young an inexpcrieu a as ! was, the
Ieseonsib lity was g,eater than liked
% bear. and asked Nat to let me
erng In an older lawyer. His reply