The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-12-17
THE SILENT WITNESS

was spending an evening with
my friend Judge Symonds and had
been entertained by "reminiscences Of
his early practice before he had even
dreamed OF promotion to the bench;
among other stories he told me the
history OF his first case about as fol-
lows:
After my admission to the bar /
was settled for some time in Corinth.
and found 1t to be most exasperat-
ingly peaceful town. and aside from
making an occasional deed and one or
two wills had no practice whatever
and but for the kindness OF a maiden
aunt who thought me the best
'nevvy' in the world / should have
been 10 very hard straits indeed.
She had more faith In my future than
]. and to my frequent expressions Of
dissatisfaction and threats to 60 about
something else she always replied:
Wait patiently; you have the
ability and all you need is the oppor-
tupity and that will come"
While waiting for this longed-for
opportunity. | formed the acquain.
lance OF nearly every ono in the viii
lage, and among others Mr.. Ball. the
wealthiest man there. who had fine
farm with q comfortable old fashioned
house and capacious barns thereon.
which. backed with good bank ac-
count made him easily the foremost
man OF the town. He had bcen mar
ried but his wife died in giving birth
to daughter many years before
became acquainted with him, and the
daughter the apple o. his eye. had
died on her twentieth birthday, leav-
ing him heartbroken.
His only known relative was a
nephew. the only child OF his only
sister and after the death of his
daughter Mr.. Ball took him into his
home and treated him in oil respects
rs son. and although he had never
30 expressed himself 1t was gen.
orally understood by every one that
Fred Coggin would inherit his uncle's
property. As Fred and l were of
about the same age and had many
tastes in common we had become in
innate friends and spent many OF
my evenings at Mr. Balls house
Mr.. Ball had for servants or hired
help as they are called. man and
wife by the name OF Tozier who &C.
cupied part OF tho house aud farm.
They had lived with MI Bali for
many years almost from the death OF
his wife. They were peculiar i'll
favored pair. and were not liked by
any one. even among those OF their
own station in life the man being OF
morose disposition and the woman
vinegary and peppery; but they did
their work faithfully. and wore envied
by many because OF the good situation
they held
In the early autumn OF the second
year was in Corinth. Mr.. Ball con-
tracted bad cold. which. through
negligence developed into pneumonia
lie was well advanced in years and Of
tleshy habit, and almost before we
were aware he was Ill he was in ex-
treme danger; he became rapidly
worse, and on the second day became
delicious and remained so until his
death. q week later.
After the funeral Fred aud entered
upon an examination of his uncle 8
papers to ascertain II he had left a
will and while so engaged Tozier en-
tered the library with lawyer from
an adjoining town. and to our aston
ishment produced paper purporting
to be the last will OF Reuben Ball. ex-
ecuted ten years before. in which he
bequeathed to his nephew. Fred. Cog
gin. theSsum OF 500. and all the re-
mainder OF the estate TO his faithful
friends and servants John Tozier and
his wife Mary.
The will was apparently in the
handwriting OF Mr. Ball was duly
signed in the presence OF three wit
nesses two OF whom were prominent
people in the village at the time Of
the execution. but both OF whom had
died shortly before Mr.. Ball; the third
witness was q shiftless ne er- do. WELL
who had occasionally worked for Mr..
Ball.
Tozier said the will had been given
him by Mr.. Ball at the time Of its OK
ecution. with a strict injunction to
say nothing about 1t until after his
death. the alleged reason being that
rs he was disinheritlng his only rela-
tive he did not care to have 1t known
and discussed besides he wanted Fred
to stay with him as long as he lived.
and he was afraid he would leave IL
he knew what disposition had been
made OF his property.
Mr. Page the counsel for the Toz-
iera informed us that he should take
M Paper 10 the probate Office at once
IA departed with his clients.
After their departure Fred. sat In
silence for an hour at least and was
90 dumfoun ded could think OF moth
ING TO say. Finally. Fred. aroused
n himself and said:
John. that paper Is forgery.
know It ia and you must take the
case up. and prove 1t 90. ! know II
looks like IN impossible task but you
must do It l leave the ways and
means 10 you
willingly undertook the matter
M had nothing whatever to do. and
Imight as we'll undertake the impos-
sible as anything else