The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-19
By MAPY RIP. HATCH.
Author OF
"The Bank Tragedy"
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE DEFENSE,

CHAPTER XXVI.
THE DEFENSE.
Mr.. Ferguson spoke for upwards of
an hour in an easy, graceful manner
natural TO him. and his outline of the
case held the enrapt attention of every
person in the courtroom that morning.
There was little of labored argument,
but starting with the supposition hat
his client was suffering a fraudulent
attempt at election from his own prem
ises. he proceeded to put the matter
before the jurymen in this light. lie
said in substance something like the
following;
You have listened to the argument
of the learned counsel for the plaintiff,
and TO the testimony offered, with great
attention, and indeed it has well merit
ed attention, for Mr.. Morley can do
anything that any one can in a poor
case, while in a good one it rests with
none to excel him. But this is a most
unjust, most fraudulent claim: it's equal
was never, perhaps, before known in
judicial history. Claims to estates are
not so rare, but was it ever known be-
fore, the attempt to claim a mans wife
and family, in addition to his property?
and was it ever witnessed, the conniV-
ing of the wife to aid the false claim
ant in his endeavors to GUST her law
full husband from his true place? /
trow not. The astounding assumption
of the whole plea for the prosecution
has blinded us somewhat to its aspect.
But let us now look at it as it stands.
MY client. who is none other than
the true Vane Hamilton-as you can see
for yourself, his looks fully
eorroborating my statement--ra-
turns after an absence OF
many months to his home. He has
been in the habit of taking his year
~ outings in May, as he is inclined
to bilious difficulties and is not SO we'll
able to pursue his business in the
spring as in the summer. Far from
making any mystery of the matter,
he has invariably told his wife that
he went away for his health. On one
or two occasions he had other bust
ness of a special nature connected
with the mill which it was believed
best to keep secret for a time.
you all know how that is, and that
ladies are sometimes apt to mention
such matters in their condolences with
other women, so that they leak out,
often to the serious detriment of their
husbands business. Knowing this, Mr..
Hamilton did not always explain the
full reason of his trips, and his wife
chose to make mystery of them.
They had nothing to do with seeking
PADDLE has no part in the defense. The
only other children born to the Ham
ilton parents were a boy and a girl,
who died in their infancy. The con-
fession of Hannah Sargent is of no
account she having told at least half
a dozen different stories about the
matter.
when Mr.. Hamilton was away he
was taken with a peculiar malady, a
species of insanity. He forgot his
name, place of residence, everything.
You have heard it all explained in the
evidence for the prosecution, embod
led in the words of Mr.. Libby and
others, who. however, make the mis-
take of confounding the false claimant
with the true. Mr.. BarnStead, l shall
prove by the evidence of his friend
Hurd. did not see Hamilton on the fif-
tenth; that it was the next Thursday
that he witnessed the meeting at Port
land depot, instead of Friday, when
Mr.. Hamilton left home. Mr.. Hamil-
ton went on his way unseen by Mr..
Barnstead, but on the Thursday follow
ing he saw the claimant, who at that
time had light hair and resembled Mr..
Hamilton strongly. In fact, the claim
ant is none other than the notorious
Ashley, who got cornered at Portland
depot that very day, and was arrested
by the sheriff from Goodwill, Harrison
county, Nebraska.
Mr.. Barnstead testified that he look
ed bewildered. No wonder that ne did
not know what to do when he saw the
officers watching him, or that ne
thought the only thing he could do was
to plead mental alteration! The Off
Ger watched him, and he knew he was
recognized With the fertility of re-
sources for which he is noted, Ash
ley decided to walk up to the officer,
pretend he did not know his own name,
and perhaps get a chance to escape
being handcuffed. What is my name 2
he asks the officer; you appear to know
me-
mo wonder the officer looks surpris-
ed at the question, but the answer
came readily, Your name is Henry