The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-11-01
The Way That Truth Crept In
BY Charles S. Jones.


work than he could perform, and then
getting through with it brilliantly.
On going into court one morning
he hurriedly besought me TO take
case of his, "a very simple affair, he
said. ] yielded, and within two min
utes found myself charged with one
OF the most difficult defenses that ever
barrister attempted.
The facts were simple, terribly
simple. My client-awkward, good
looking, but not very intelligent
was the son of farmer. He had left
his home, and now stood arragned
for burglarously entering his fathers
house. while that father was away in
London, and attempting to open an
iron safe, which was kept, of all queer
places in the world, in the pantry.
But the great, the strongest fact
against us was that the testimony of
my clients own mother was to be
given against her son.
She told in her hushed voice and
gasping tones how she had been
aroused during the night by a serv-
ant; how, hearing noise below, she
had gone down alone-the girl being
too frightened to accompany her
, how she had then seen her boy, the
darling of her heart, fumbling at the
door of the safe. and how, seeing her,
. he had turned and fled through the
. open window.
Now il struck me as being curious
, that a woman who had given evidence
, with such obvious reluctance against
. her son should have done so volun-
tarily. Something, some fact or some
. person. it seemed to me, must have
. compelled her to say it was her son
! she saw.
! The next witness was business
F.. like girl, who gave her evidence with
out the least reluctance. She stated
! that on hearing a noise she had
J aroused her mistress and allowed her
! to descend alone. As ker mistress did
not return, however she summoned
J another servant. and together they
went downstairs TO find their mistress
in a swoon. Then, just as the crown
counsel was sitting down, she added,
+. in an unhappy burst of self-import-
ance:
And next day I gave information
| to the police"
T, Indeed" said l. rising quickly,
, and what did you tell them?'
/ 81 told them that missis had gone
, down during the night and found
Master Rupert (the prisoner trying
to open the safe
Immediately ! shot the question at
her: And where did you get your
, information" and, at once. her man
ner changed. She hesitated. red
Gened, stammered; then, with a sud
/ den instinct, she pointed to where the
prisoners mother was sitting.
"She told me-" said the girl.
Then a striking scene followed. The
prisoners mother rose slowly, and
said;
| 81 never told her my lord. What
|. the girl says is not true. | would
have told no one unless | had been
compelled"
. when do you say your mistress
, tod you this: | asked
About II o'clock next morning."
l the girl answered.
and at what time did you com
municate with the police?"
h about two
"Whom did you tell meanwhile?"
"NO one"
"What! You went about knowing
the guilty party, and never speaking.
AT least you told your fellow serv-
ants?"
'We knew it," she said.
'Knew it." | shouted. ironically:
'knew it was the prisoner who had
tried to open the safe, Pray how did
you know it if you did not see the
act committed?"
Il mean that when we heard that
h there had been a burglary we thought
that Master Rupert had done it,"
"Why?' | asked.
"Because"-she Master
Rupert had ran away from home and
] did not trust him"
'In fact" l said ''you did not like
hm?"
no" said the girl. then stopped
and bit her lip.
, Again asked her why.
Gle came between me and his
brother" she answered holly and de-
l family.
His brother! This is the first we
have heard of his brother" and |
turned to the crown counsel. whose
features had look of unruffled pla-
cidity. Then to the girl ] said
and where was his brother on the
night this burglary took place."
That the question touched home |
SAW in an instant. The girl paled and
| trembled, but she answered steadily:
81 do not know"
Something told me the other broth
er was the pivot on which the whole
case turned. | let the girl 90, and
asked that the mother might be re-
called, deploring meanwhile the fact
that ] had had no opportunity of con