The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-02-28

reason for her voluntary confession
on account of a guilty conscience.
| entered plea of not guilty for my
client and called In two experts in chi
Biography to pass upon the writing
The body of the check was in one
hand. while the signatures were In an
other. My experts stated that the
writing in the body was something
similar to that of my client. but they
pronounced the signatures to have
been made by another person from the
filler of the paper and certainly not
that of my client The prosecuting at
torney's experts declared that my eli
ent had both filed in the check and
written the signatures.
What puzzled me was that Mrs. Ir-
win manifested no interest in secur-
Zig an acquittal. She said she felt
that she had committed sin and could
never hope to obtain any mental COM
fort In the matter till she had paid
the penalty. Her actions were so
strangely at variance with her confes
b4On tddt was AOA(C0 " lnC COA(iA
sion that she was Iaboring under q
Authorization. Without intimatlng to
her my object I asked her for infor-
nation as to her family record, think
ing | might discover that there was
insanity in her family which had crop
ped out in her. She resolutely declined
to assist me in the matter. but hunt
ed up cousin of hers. who informed
me that maternal grandmother of his
own and Mrs. Irwin's had in her old
age fancied' herself to be troubled with
malignant spirits.
Acting upon this, called in alienists,
hoping to prove by them an abnormal
mental condition on the part of my
client. The first alienist who exam
ined her pronounced her in perfect
health in every respect, including her
mind. The second. after great deal
of cross questioning. in which he was
endeavoring to fulfill a theory, gave
It as his opinion that she had received
at some time a severe shock which
might have produced mental aberra-
ton.
Never did an attorney get hold Of a
more puzzling case, and both judge
and jury were similarly affected As
for me. my sympathies were so far en-
listed for my client that could not fix
my mind on any other subject If she
were of sound mind and guilty of the
crime tDere was somerning unusual.
something noble, in her desire to ex-
plate it. If she were not of sound
mind and not guilty the mystery of
the case was sufficient to enlist ones
deepest interest.
The result of all this was that fell
In love with my client She was fully
ten years my senior, widow, and liv-
ing on the slenderest income None of
these considerations was in itself suf-
ficient to prevent my loving her or mar
rying her. but to feel that my happi-
ness was dependent upon union with
self confessed forger was sufficient
to drive me to insanity.
The theory of justice is that an &C.
cused person is either innocent or
guilty-that he must be proved guilty
to be punished. Nevertheless COM
promise. which enters into all other
matters of life. enters into law as we'll
The jury was obliged to bring in
verdict of guilty. but recommended the
culprit to mercy. The consequence
was that in sentencing her the judge
gave her the lightest sentence posi-
BILE within the law. He condemned
her to serve a term Of six months in
the state penitentiary.
That woman l had come to love
should spend one minute behind bars
was not only abhorrent to me, but it
unbalanced my equanimity. / at once
moved for a new trial. then when
alone with my client confessed my
love for her.
She was strangely moved by my con-
fession. 1t seemed to give her both
happiness and misery. When I asked
her as to her feelings toward me she
broke down. weeping profusely, but
gave no answer. When she had quiet
ed she begged me to let the sentence
of the court stand. She would serve
her term and the suspense would be