The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-06-16
A CURIOUS CASE.

81 am sorry TO say, Blake, that l am
under the impression that you will lose
that case" said Dodworth to me rs he EN-.
tered my store and took q seat.
Dodworth is not only my lawyer, but
also my trusted friend. We sat side by
side in the town school and graduated from
Princeton in the same year,
The case he referred to was one of long
standing between myself and shoe manu-
facturcr named Fairfax. Some six months
before Fairfax had supplied me with large
quantity of uppers of an inferior grade
from those which had ordered, and now
he was trying to make me pay for them.
had demanded reduction on the invoice
price from Fairfax one day when l met
him on the street, and to this he had made
an oral agreement, but now he demurred
and intended to sue for the full amount.
"But can prove that he agreed to a re-
duction of 10 per cent, replied, rather
nettled to find that my friend did not think
l had n clear case.
"How can you prove itP" he asked dryly
"Why, he said so himself, Mt all events"
"That is no proof. If you tax him about
II in court he will Of course say you are
entirely mistaken, and there you are. If
the bargaiu"---
"There was"
"Who was itW
"Ah that was the rub. Ever since l
had defed Fairfax to go to law and collect
the bill had been trying to think of the
gentleman who had been with me on that
occasion. II was some one did not know
very well, and had forgotten him within
the hour, and now try my best could not
recall either his face or his name.
"If you can tell me who this party is
will call on him and see If he recollects the
matter" went on my friend. "If he does
you are safe, If not your case goes to
pieces"
"Fairfax must know him." replied.
THAT isn't the point. Do you know
himf"
YES; but can't recall him now"
well, try your best to do so during the
day. l will call again late this afternoon. "
With these words Dodworth passed out
Of the place, leaving me very busy with my
thoughts.
had a mass Of figuring to do that day,
but cast it all aside, and did my best to
follow his instructions. But though !
smoked up half a dozen cigars and nearly
stared the plaster off the ceiling arrived
at no satisfactory conclusion. Once or
twice / fanCied had the name of the wit
ness on my tongues end, but it slipped
back before l could utter it. Finally /
threw away three-quarteH of the last
cigar and turned to my work, resolved to
lose half dOzan cases rather than TO think
myself into an insane asylum.
DodwOrth came back at 5 o'clock and
cheerily asked what luck,
None" | replied. II couldn't think of
that mans name If my life depended
on it,"
"Then you had better pay up and have
the case quashed."
"Not bit of it," said stubbonly. 81
want you to fight him all you can. Put
him under the closest cross examination
you possibly can devise.'
"Oh, of course I'll do that, If you insist
on going ahead. only want you to be
prepared for defeat if it comes"
II will be-"
"I've got another plan" he went on, rub
bing his chin slowly. Suppose you put a
personal in the leading papers2 The wit
ness may possibly see it,"
l shook my head. l was under the i'm
preston that the witness was business
man himself, and If so, it was not likely
that he was in the habit of pcrusing the
personal column Of any newspaper.
"Well, suit yourself" said Dodworth,
Struggling his shoulders. II only thought
you wanted to do all that could be done"
"Well, go ahead and write out the per
sonals,' returned, simply to please him.
Writing up the advertisement was no
easy matter Both Of us tried our hands
at it and made a number Of failures before
we produced the following.
WITNESS sWANTED.-Wiu the gentleman who
overheard q certain business transaction con-
corning n reduction in the invoice price Of a
quantity of uppcr5 kindly communicate with
Dealer" this officer
Fairfax may see that and then he will
know just how weak we are" said I, when
the writing was finished.
THAT is true" replied Dodworth, "but
there is nothing else to do, and it is your
last hope"
"Whcn shall we insert them?"
"Have your boy take them TO the differ.
ent offices at once, then they will appear
in tomorrow's issues"
/ did as he advised Late on the follow
ing day l received two replies-one from a
paper in which the personal had not been
inserted, advising me to try its columns,
and one from private detective, who was
willing to work up the case for proper
fee.
! paid no attention to either of these let
tiers. At the sams time / was served with
notice to the effect that the case would
come up in the regular county court held
in an adjoining town on the following
Tuesday.
81 suppose am in for it," said to Dod-
worth.
'I'm afraid you are, Blake. You would
have been better off If you had taken my
advice in the first place. However, will
do the best can for you"
II know you will. want you to let ev-
cry one know that the reason don't pay
the bill is because I think Fairfax a
swindler.
"Ill make it hot for him." laughed my
friend.
But for all this the outcome of the mat
ter worried me not a little. 1t was not be-
cause would have to pay several hundred
dollars if lost the case, but it was having
q Judgment rendered against me. This is
something every true business man hates
to have occur.
passed Saturday and Sunday in a most
uncomfortable frame of mind. On the lat.
ter day went to church with my wife, but
all through the service l could not help
trying TO think Of the name or face of the
witness that was wanted TO save me.
endeavored to run alphabetically through
a list of my friends, and followed this up
by thinking first of all the brown headed
men knew, then the black headed and
finally the bald headed. But it was all to
no purpose, and gave a groan that made
my wife think / was asleep and give me a
nudge in the ribs to awaken me-