The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-09-28

haI ma d. 81 th~d wffnour erTrwnprr
tive evidence would BE out Of the
question. To permit theft Without
reporting n would be violation Of the
duties Of eitizenship. After much
thought hit upon the following plan
| gave the facts 70 a detective agency
and asked that II endee For 20 put
man tn the house vfth q view 70 max
Ing = search for ths stolen property
+ II gave one q It's list men The
/ job. and By watching he house for
some time be anaIiy found the prem
/ ises ieft IN ths cars Of a servant I'm
teriag sorreputioosly. he searched
room which be lad taken pain. 10
learn vas tbe bedroom q the young
lady ! had seen ~ your store lie
found the bracelet between the mat
tresses = her bed
Feeling that J have done even more
than ms duty leave the matter In
Your hands n yea viii 81 out var
rant aud search Tie essaand story back
bedroom ~ 81 Warren street you
vii nnd Yeuf nrareiet Al any rate.
The detective 90 = Il there less than an
hour ago
While Judge Gnmths was sitting on
The bench hc bad iast pronounced
sentence ca "a criminals hurry call
came over the telephone FOR him to
come home az once lie Immediately
adjourned the eourt aud. calling a cab.
drove 10 hls residence Hastily enter
ink be found bis family IN most dis
tressinE situation The house VAS in
the hands Of officers OF the law. who
bad IN their possession the Identical
ruby eyed bracelet be had thought Of
buying for his daughters birthday
present II had been found between
the mattresses or her bed
That some OF the constables recog-
nlzed a Judge of the criminal court
did not ahsolve them from doing their
duty. Miss Grifiiths was taken by
them in a carriage to court. her father
accompanying her. where charge OF
larceny was made against her Her
father give bail for her appearance
for trial. aud she returned with him
TO their home
mystery loomed up before Judge
Gritf1ths. Not for moment did he
suspect that his daughter was guilty
of theft What puzzled him was that
he had examined this very bracelet
with a view to buying It, He was
sure that be could not have taken 1t
from the store by mistake. And II he
had done so how could II have come
between the mattresses of his daugh-
ter's bed2 But the mystery was nothing
to the terror with which the incident
inspired the judge. Without an expla
nation his daughter must be tried
convicted and sentenced to the peni-
Tertiary. On Just such evidence be
had sentenced hundreds of criminals
He went at once to Benkard's and
WIS closeted with the head of the
firm
On herring the judges errand,
Mr.. Bernhard told him of the anony
nous letter he had received and show
ed him another that had just come In
apparently from a different person, au-
thorizing him to say to Judge Grifiths
that 1t would be to his advantage to
iCtOinuiGlIu W iue SONGI uOI VI the
state that II pardon be granted to Edith
rrowbridgp. whom he had sentenced to
serve two years In state prison. This
was all the information received on
the subject, except that Bernhard had
recovered his lost property by acting
on the advice OF bis FIRST correspond
ent
For the first time the judge recalled
the Trowbridge case. 1t was plain
that some one interested In that case
had planned an ingenious method of
placing bis daughter in the same posi-
ton as that occupied by the girl he
had sentenced. Furthermore, be saw
at once that the scheme had been so
adroitly managed that there was little
hope OF exposing the perpetrators.
Whether the scheme had been work
ed In the interest of an innocent or
guilty person the judge did not know.
He had no evidence to prove that a
scheme had been worked at all that
could be satisfactorily presented to a
court. He went at once to the gov
ernor of the state and laid the case
DtlOTG ulIu. ne BONeIHOk glSldth "
his solicitations and issued a pardon
for Edith Trowbridge.
AS soon as Miss Trowbridge was
free Judge Griffiths received word
that the person who had worked up
the case against bis daughter would
explain on a promise of immunity.
The judge. glad to remove the obloquy
that rested upon his child. acceded to
the terms and soon after received a
visit from George Whitcomb, who said
TO him:
you convicted an innocent girl ON
circumstantial evidence. After the
trial saw you walk up the street and
enter a jewelry store. went In after
you, stood beside you at the counter,
saw you look at the bracelet and heard
all you said When the clerks back
was turned and you were intent upon
another article l saw an opportunity
to steal the bracelet. To do 30 and
make a plan for laying the theft at
your door occurred to me. At the risk
OF you or some other criminal judge
sending me where you sent Miss Trow-
bridge I slipped the bracelet into my
sleeve.