The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1911-03-04

this country. It il true he performed
the act charged against him. He is
guilty Of no crime because he was led
to believe by that old counterfeiter
Delinsky that the work he was doing
was for the government. He did not
know that the plate was counterfeit.
He is the innocent victim Of plot
planned and carried out by the gov
eminent detectives"
Shaking his finger as he pointed
towards the detectives, he declared in
a tragic voice that they could not
deny the charge he made. He said
the chief had acknowledged furnish
ing the money for the purpose of buy
ing the printing press, the paper and
the ink upon which the counterfeit
currency was printed.
Tho jury appeared dazed. While
the charge against the Russian was
not for printing counterfeiting cur
rency, but for engraving plates for
that purpose, the muddled jury did
not seem to understand the difference.
The old lawyer saw that he had
made point and he now rested his
strangely fascinating eyes upon the
jurymen. Raising his long arms
above his head he roared with voice
resembling distant thunder.
my God! Gentlemen of the jury, is
this poor, ignorant man to be de-
prived of his liberty upon the unsup-
ported testimony of these hirelings?"
This as he again shook his long
bony forefiner and pointed towards
the detectives. Turning partly around
he placed his hand tenderly upon the
head of the Russian and babe him
arise and stand where twelve honest
men could look him in the face. Stuart
declared he had been employed by
the broken-hearted wife of the poor
man to say few words in his behalf
For this service l have received no
fee, and wouldn't accept one This
poor man could not tell his own story
For the first time in his life he has
been arrested. He does not know a
good piece of money from a bad one.
He has wife and family to support"
At this moment poorly clad wo-
man with tears running down her
cheeks stepped forward Four half
frightened children were hanging to
her skirts. The old lawyer took the
woman by the hand and turned to
the jury as he said:
This is the wife and children of
the unfortunate prisoner. May God
help them. II their father is con-
victed these children will be left to
starve and the wife win be compelled
to endure the sneers of all who know
her. These cunning detectives have
pursued this innocent man to the very
verge Of destruction and 1t rests with
you gentlemen Of the jury to save
him"
When the old lawyer sat down sew
eral Of the jurors had their handker-
chiefs In their hand and were wiping
away their tears. There was silence
In the court room when the govern
ment attorney arose. He blinked lit
tie as he briefly reviewed the EVIL
dence. The Judge made his charge
and the jury retired to a side room.
After celebrating about five min
utes they came back and rendered a
verdict of acquittal. The government
attorney and detectives were as
founded. Az soon as the prisoner |
was discharged he threw his arms
around his attorney and kissed him |
on the cheek. He then shook hands |
with each Of the Jurymen. and had
they permitted 1t he would have
kissed them. He next embraced his
wife and kissed her, and taking up |
one of the children In his arms the |
family went out Of the court room.
Several days after the trial Judge
Stuart came to my ONCE. He was
excited when he told me
that 1t had been discovered that the
wife and children brought into court |
AZ the family of the Russian engraver
we're not his at ALL They were the
family of another Russian and had
been borrowed for the occasion. The
Judge put his hand into the inner
pocket of his vest and drew out roll
Of bills.
Here" said he, sis the stun that
IA scoundrel paid me for defend
ng him."
saw at glance that the stun
pulled out by the Judge consisted of
bills on the National Shoe
md Leather bank, and l learned that
he old lawyer came very near being
arrested for passing some of this
bogus money. He said he wanted me
o catch the rascal and give him ff-
cen years In the penitentiary.