The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-20
A LAWYERS STORY.


that of Nat Ford. 1t occurred when wa
much younger man than / now am. Il
fact, had never had criminal case, ant
was beginning TO wonder if I ever SHOULD
have one, when l received the followin:
telegram:
/ am arrested on a charge Of murder. Vol
must defend me. Come at once. NAT.
In few hours the southern express wa.
whirling me over the country toward Daw
son, and l lay back on the cushions anc
tried to fancy how should feel with deal
friends life depending on my efforts.
Nat Ford had been my friend from boy
hood Left an orphan at an early age hs
had been adopted by a bachelor uncle who
was said to be very wealthy. His home
called Winthrop Place, was like many
southern mansions of that period; very
large, with numerous wings and dou Die
piazza on three sides. l had visited Nat
more than once, and remembered thu
house very distinctly.
wondered whom Nat could have been
accused of having murdered. He was
rather wild boy, but not at all quarrel
some, and he never had an enemy in the
world. 1t was of no use wondering; the
telegram gave me no cue, and l 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 Alecl;. the coachnan, with
the Winthrop carriage He greeted me
very sorrowfully. L could hardly wait till
we were on the way when l began nv
questioning.
"Aleck, what is all this trouble about?"
"W'y bress yo' soul, MasSa Harry Amt
yo' done heard to" Aleck looked wonder
ingly at me. Somebody done killed ole
1nassa, an de hossi6ers says twas Massa
Nat"
1 could not repress an exclamation of
horror.
NAT never could have done such a
thing" l said.
Goose he nebha; we all knows dat
You'll sabe i'm, Massa Harry; you'll tell
de hossifers he didn't, won't you?"
l assured the old man that | would do
everything in my power. I then asked
him for detailed account of the tragedy.
Nobody doan' know much bout hit
Ole massa was a-writin inhis room at mid
night wen de ole woman went down to de
kitchen TO- hot watah TO- her newralgy.
Den bout half hour arter we done heard
Massa Nat leave his room an nebba heard
Tim come back Mex mo'nin we done fin
ole massa dead on de fo', an ma'ks on is
neck wha' somebody done choke i'm"
"Horriblew exclaimed. But why was
it doDe?"
"Fo' money. Dey say dere's heaps OBJ it
gone"
could learn little more, and the remain
der of the five mile journey was made in
silence
/ had expected to find Nat looking wor-
ried, but l was not prepared to meet the
baggard, wild eyed man whom / found in
q cell at the jail when l ran down there
after supper.
God bless you for comingr' he said in
broken voice, rs ] gave him the old, firm
grasp of friendship. Il knew you would
not desert me"
81 never WILL" I replied, as 1 drew his
arm through mine. Now tell me all
about it."
We had long conversation, but could
learn little of Importance Nat had gone
TO the library for a book about midnight
or 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 selecting a book he returned with
IL to his own apartment, and noticing rs
he passed that the door was closed and the
light eKtinguished, 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 be
hind. There were no marks of violence
except the livid finger prints on his throat,
and no sign OF any struggle
But the most damaging testimony
against Nat was the discovery Of his scarf
pin, which had dropped down the collar of
his uncle's coat, ard was found by the
coroner. This, it was argued, could not
have occurred unless Nat had stood be-
hind Mr. Winthrop in the position one
must necessarily take to commit such
deed.
The safe door was standing ajar; all the
money and papers were missing. The
drawers of the desk, too, had been riAed.
This was bad enough, but / questioned
the servants
Alexis wife repeated what Aleck had
said: That when she went to the kitchen
for hot water at midnight, Mr.. Winthrop
was writing in his room. Shortly after
her return they-both she and Aleck-
heard Nat leave his chamber and go along
the hall to 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. Winthrops, was awak-
eneS some time in the night 10y sound as
&C q weight falling on the piazza without.
But she had no iGea what time it was, and
the noise might or might not have had any
bearing on the crime.
This was absolutely all that / could learn
II the matter. Personally, was satisfied |
that Nat was innocent; bat from the data |
at hand it seemed impossible to establish |
his innocence in court. Young and mex |
perienced as | was, the responsibility was |
greater than / liked to bear, and ! asked I
Nat TO let me bring in an older lawyer. |
His reply was a most emphatic negative. |
his reasons being that no other man would |
believe him innocent. aud therefore no one |
else would put his whole heart into the /
work. Representation WIS in vain: | must |
work out the case myself.
Court was ag taaU time in session, and /
Mats case was set FOR Friday Of the follow t
ing week. DGr.ag the days that followed 1
j worked rs re man ever worked before -
find sore cir1v 90 ti.- niVuerer, There
were not wanting detectives TO pIy their
sklIi, but ali IE vain. Nat passed the time
"a a sort OF stupor, seemingly TOO be