The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1907-01-31
THE
BrangWyn Mystery

to plead for the accused, have no al
tentative. I must tell you that there
is but one verdict, and that verdict is
one OF guilty Do your duty, gentle
men, and do it without fear. You leave
yourselves and you leave my long-suf-
fering and deeply injured client in the
hands Of n in whom you may safely
repose the most mistaken confidence.
To you, my lord, I dare address but
n word only. You will let your own
heart speak"
There were tears in court. there
were tears in the jury box, even the
Judge himself was visibly affected.
There was a moments silence, broken
only by sobbings here and there, and
then counsel, rising from the seat into
which he had fallen at his last word,
said:
| Call William Molesworth."
A gray haired man, attired with an
old-fashioned precision, stepped into
the box and was sworn. He was deep
ly moved, and at first answered ques-
lions put to him with difficulty.
Your name is William M~olesworth2
You are a solicitor in practice in Lin.
coins Inn? Will you tell me IL | have
been rightly informed that Augustus
Brangwyn the elder, the confession OF
whose murder by his nephey, Alexis,
you have just heard, was your first
client Of Importance"
He was actually my first. He and
my elder brother were old schoOlfel-
lows, and my brother introduced me-"
How long did you continue to trans.
act his legal business?"
Until the legal presumption of his
I death, two years after his d~ecease."
"On what personal terms did you
stand with your client?"
For the last forty-five years of his
life on terms of intimate friendship"
You were aware Of his testament
tary dispositions, we may assume
81 drew up the only will he ever
signed"
will you tell us how his fortune
was bequeathed?"
1T was divided equally between his
nephews. There were some minor be-
quests, with regard to which l have
not refreshed my memory"
Precisely. They are of no moment,
Mr.. Wordsworth. Was the fortune a
large one?"
"The personality IA sworn under
E523, 900"
$50 that each of his heirs had to
look forward to an inheritance Of a
quarter Of a million?"
Rather more"
Rather more. Were they both
aware of this?"
Mr.. Brangwyn asked me to read
and explain the will to his great-neph.
ews on their tw~enty-irst birthday"
Did he give you a reason for that"
We'll, he made the reading OF the
will the occasion for a little ermon
He told the young men that he relied
on and had faith in their honor, but he
wished them to understand that they
had large expectations. and that those
expectations would be forfeited II
either of them were guilty to his
knowledge Of any conduct seriously
unworthy Of a Christian gentleman"
did you receive from him a few
days before his disappearance q letter
relating to the prisoner"
Yes. He had received news Of an
act of his which he described as that
Of a bastard and a scoundrel. He
gave me instructions to prepare a new
will b%equeathing everything to his
nephew, Alexis, Inc charging the es.
tate with an annual payment Of two
hundred and fifty pounds to his elder
nephew"
NOW We know hat Mr.. Brangwyn
was foully murdered before that sec
ond will was drawn"
1T was only half drafted at the
time"
You had q strong presumption that
the prisoner had a hand in his disap-
pearance!"
Il believed him to have murdered
my old friend"
did you tell him SOP"
ITO my bitter grief and shame, l
did"
How long did that belief continue
in your mind?"
Until he was publicly exculpated by
the attorney general at Bow street"
Il have been given to understand.
Mr.. Molesworth, that you expressed
your belief with some freedom"
II expressed it, to my undying re-
greet and remorse, everywhere and any
where when occasion offered"
"The prisoner knew this?"
He knew it only too we'll" The
witnesses voice broke, and he wept.
"You know that if he had chosen to
inculpate his cousin he could have
convinced you Of his innocence at any
moment?" =
Il know 1t, MI. Atkinson. know
It." Atkinson, G. c., and the veneer
able solicitor were old friends and old
professional associates.
"And will you tell US why, in your
opinion, he refrained from actionT
Why, sir? Because he would not
stoop to soil the name he bears"
, Had he gone to the police at any