Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-07
DAILY SHORT STORY
A PUZZLE IN EVIDENCE.
[Original.l


professional duty l ever had was that |
of Philip Gray. whom l defended on |
a charge of forgery. Before selecting a |
line of defense l visited the prisoner |
In his cell and asked him TO tell me
whatever he knew that would tend TO !
establish his innocence. Gray was a |
fine looking young fellow, about |
twenty-five years old. and with as hon |
est look as l ever saw in any mans
eye. Judge, therefore. Of my surprise |
when, instead of complying with my |
request, he asked me whether an at |
torney was bound TO secrecy with re-
Spect to his clients admission of guilt, |
and when l said that such was the
obligation he declared that he had COM
mitted the forgery.
celebrated British barriSter. hav
ing been placed in a similar position.
referred the case 10 the judges, who
after elaboration told him that it was
proper lie should defend his client.
though he should not state his own
belief in his innocence. l resolved to
act upon this advice myself and pro-
ceeded with the defense.
Gray seemed Indifferent to the out
come; at any rate, he would give me
no information to guide me in assist
ing him. Indeed, there was little to
bring forward, for all the incentive TO
the crime was with the accused. The
forgery was the signature of Il viii
purpOrting to have been left by his
uncle Peter Martin. leaving Philip
Gray all his property, large estate.
| There was. however, one weak point in
the evidence against the prisoner in
! this: That two in three experts i'll Chi
Biography testified. and without know
| ing each others conclusions, that Phil
| ip Gray had not written the signature
to the will. But the opinion of the two
experts who were of this opinion did
not count for much. They We're with
out reputation in their calling and had
| been summoned by me. The expert
who declared that the accused had
committed the forgery was ut the head
of his profession and had been sum-
moned by the state.
The last day of the trial was an eX-
citing one or, rather, pathetic one.
| The mother of the accused was in court
and the agony depicted on his face
WAS enough to move Il heart of ada
maut Indeed, the evidence against
my client was so strong, and / was 50
weakened by the knowledge of his
| guilt that | came toward the end of
the trial To rely principally on the
| presence of the mother and her effect
! upon the jury. l spoke feelingly of
! the misfortune under which tie prison
er laborcd. that both of the witnesses
who had seen the testator sign the will
were dead. drawing Il picture of the
delightful transition from one accused
| of Il crime to Vindication if one or both
| the witnesses should come into court.
| also pictured to the jury Il noble life
| bli@htcd by mistake. While l was
speaking tie mother of the prisoner
| was far more visibly affected than the
| jury. ana when l sat down she went
! out of the courtroom. sent for me and
! confessed that she, in order to secure
| the estate for the son. had forged the
will.
Here was a new complication, but
it was Il relief to me. Gray. to screen
| his mother. had confessed the crime.
He not his mother. was my client and
was placed in 4 new position by this
| knowledge of his innocence. l did not
care 10 ask him if his mothers confes-
sion was the truth. for felt quite sure
that the same motive that had led him
to accuse himself would lead him TO
deny that she was guilty. ! went back
into the courtroom resolved to spare
no effort to save an innocent man. one
who was placing himself in his moth
er's stead. from punishment for q crime
he had not committed. But here again
was Il puzzle as to duty. Profession
III, -
| innocence If possible. BY putting his
mother on the stand l could secure his
acquittaI. l knew that lie would be
far greater sufferer if l adopted this
course than if he were convicted in her
stead. | made up my mind to do what
l could for him without compromising
his mother. Possibly l might save him
without rcsorting to this expedient.
| arose to the last summing up.
There was little to say in his defense
without accusing his mother so l was
obliged to content myself with n con
tinued effort to win the sympathy of
the jury. But on this 1 was clogged
by a knowledge that the woman for
whom l asked their indulgence was
herself guilty of the crime. AS l pro-
ceeded l saw that the twelve men
looking at me We're convinced that l
did not feel what l said. / was lum-
bering along hurriedly when there was
q stir beyond the rail. \ man pushed
forward and asked TO speak TO the
prisoners counsel. l paused in my
speech and went TO the rail.
I'm Edmund ID. Corwine." he said
zone of the witnesses to the will of
Peter Martin"
Are you sure? You're supposed to
be dead
4 can prove my identity and am
ready to swear that Peter Martin sign
ed n viii in my presence
He did both. and the prisoner was
not only acquitted. but came into pos
session Of large fortune
The explanation? Well. the man who
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