The Saint Paul globe., 1896-10-05
TRUE HISTORY OF A LAWYERS
CRIME BROUGHT ABOUT BY
GAMBLING.
ClRCUMeTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
COUNTY TREASURER MURDERED
WHILE TAKING MONEY TO
THE CAPITAL.
HIS COMPANION ARRESTED
And COnvicted-Nerve, Combined
With Acting, Saved His
Neck.

DOWQ IN ALABAMA tney tell a strange
story about a man who succeeded in
cheating the gallows by clever ruse,
says the Philadelphia Times. AS he
lived a respectable life afterwards. and
some of his children are still living his
real name is not given. We will call
him Devereux.
William Devereux was rising
young lawyer Of good family, married
to an accomplished wife and possessed
of large number of admiring and de-
voted friends. Indeed, he was one Of
those magnetic persons, having the
fortunate faculty Of making strong and
loyal friends of nearly all who came
in contact with him.
But in the town where he lived there
was considerable dissipation of a GER
tain kind. Devereux became a men,
Der Of a choice circle Of card players
He lost money, first his own, and then
the money of others, with which he
had been entrusted. For a long time
he managed to keep this state of af-
fairs concealed by a sort of a system
of robbing Peter to pay Paul and to
meet his obligations as they matured.
But a period came when William Dew
ereIIrX realized that these things could
be concealed no longer, and the day
Of exposure and disgrace came ever
nearer and nes@er.
1t was in thG old-fashioned times,
when there wei( no railroads, no tele-
graph, no means of travel, save over
lll-kept roads, generally on horseback
1t was before the day when drafts.
bills of exchange and similar banking
conNeniences for facilitating money
transfers had reached anything like
modern perfection. and payments at a
distance were made by sending the
money itself.
1t was also the custom of the vari-
Gus county collectors and treasurers to
make yearly trips to the state capital,
carrying such moneys as had been COL
lected in their districts on behalf of
the state, and the necessary papers
and vouchers thereto. and have an an
nual settlement for the years receipts
and disbursements.
Now at the time when Devereux' 9
affairs were most desperate his own
county treasurer started out on horse
back with the state money, a large
sum, in a pair of saddle-bags, to effect
his annual accounting.
On the road he was Joined by a fell
low traveller, who afterward was prov
en- to be Devereux. They put up one
night at a roadside tavern and occu-
pied the same room. Next morning the
treasurer was found dead in bed. his
throat cut from. ear to ear. His COM
panion had disappeared, and the sad
dle-bags, with their contents, were
also missing. The country side was
aroused, bloodhounds were brought out
and a fierce chase Of some hours re-
suited in Devereux being run down and
captured. There was no question but
that he had been the murdered mans
companion the night before, but none
of the missing money or papers were
found upon him.
These were the facts in the case.
When the news passed from traveller
to traveller along the country roads
and finally reached Devereux's home
town, there was tremendous sensa-
ton, further heightened when the
damning circumstances of his business
affairs came to light and made clear
the motive of the crime. yIqq1s ;ra
Nevertheless many Of his friends
were still loyal, strong family influence
was exerted in his behalf, the best
lawyers were employed and every eff
fort made to free him from the conse-
quences of his awful crime All with
out avail. He was tried, found guilty
and sentenced to be hanged. The
higher courts decided against him on
appeal. The governor refused to in
terfere. and Devereux occupied a cell
in the jail at the little town of St
Stephens, closely guarded, within a.few
days Of the date appointed for his ex-
ecution, with all prospects Of escape
seemingly cut off.
In spite Of the enormity Of his crime
there began to be a great deal ot
sympathy for the man who lay in jai
awaiting death. His youth, his hand.
some face, his graceful, dignif1ed bear
ing. his calm courage, his perfect man.
ner and his unfailing persistence in
the declaration of his innocence. al
combined to produce this effect. He
expressed no animosity towards wit,
nesses. judge, jury or prosecutor, sim
ply stating that he was an unforIu.
nate victim Of remarkable circum
stances, from which he could blame nc
one for drawing the mistaken infer
ence of his guilt.
The sheriff who guarded him was Of
the number of those thus impressed
and In his secret heart deeply sorrowet
at the prospect of his ssadssduty, al
though nc relaxed not at all in vigil