Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-01-05
An important Law
Case
By CARL SARGENT CHASE
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.

Driving laZily along country road,
I saw ahead of me an old man and
a girl running as for dear life. Has
tening my pace, came up with them.
They turned, with despair in their
faces. The girl clasped her hands, as
Stunning a posture of entreaty, and be-
gan a number of incoherent sentences.
81 beseech you not to take him back.
He will really go mad if you shut him
up again in that terrible place. Let
us go on and say you couldn't find u.s."
The girl begging for the old mans
liberty was so beautifully feminine
that had she not also moved my SYM
pathies l might have let her go on beg
ging for some time longer. AS it was
1 stopped her.
"You are losing valuable time. | am
not your pursuer, and if any one Is
after you you'd better tell me about it
in few words. If you need help will
help YOU"
The change on her countenance from
! despair to hope was even more win
ming than her expression of supplica-
father-the man who was with her
was very rich; that his nephew in or
der to secure possession of his prop
erty had secured his incarceration in
a lunatic asylum; that she had been
admitted to see him and had surrep-
titiously taken him away. They were
sure when they heard the wheels Of
my buggy that l was coming to take
! the old man back to the asylum.
had no doubt from the girls story
the old man was a lunatic who had
! persuaded his granddaughter that he
was of sound mind and was being per-
secuted for his estate. There was GER
tainly nothing of the millionaire in his
appearance, and he had probably i'm
agined the story of her wrath-or, rath-
er, it was a part of his lunacy. Never
theless | was so attracted to the girl
that l resolved to get the couple away
from the asylum authorities long
enough to look into the case.
An exclamation of terror from the
girl attracted my attention, and, look
ing behind me. | saw Il horse and bug
gy coming at a brisk trot. l took the
couple into my wagon, but did not
make an attempt at flight. jogging
along at quiet gait.
ooh, heavens" exclaimed the girl
eve will be taken. Do go faster"
"Not without my knowing just why"
I replied. II promise you to interest
myself in your case and if your grand
father is improperly confined to move
heaven and earth to accomplish his
release"
The pursuer, an official of the luna
tic asylum. soon overhauled us. He
told me that the old man was pa
tient at the asylum and he wanted
him. l invited him to continue with
us into the city toward which we were
going, promising to hold the patient
for him in order that the asylum au-
thorities might substantiate their legal
claim to him. He could only accept
the terms, and / drove on, he follow
ing.
On reaching the city I pulled up at
the office of my attorney, and we all
L
won the confidence Of not only the
runaways, but the asylum official, and
a compromise was effected by which
the former should remain in my keep
ing while the lawyer investigated the
case. Since lived with my mother in
a house plenty large enough for all of
us this was a very satisfactory ar
rangement, enabling me to be con-
stantly with the girl. whose sweetness
and devotion to her grandfather won
me completely.
AT the end Of week my lawyer told
me that he had unearthed what he be-
lieved to be one Of the most nefarious
plots he had ever encountered. The
old man, Jonathan Gooding, possessed
an immense fortune. Being without
wife or children. he had taken his
granddaughter Grace to live with him
when she was little girl and had
made will bequeathing her his for
tune. His nephew, man of forty
five and a lawyer, had known what
legal steps to take to secure the old
mans removal to the asylum and had
managed the matter very adroitly, his
plan being at his uncle's demise to Sc
cure distribution of his estate among
his heirs, which would give the nephew
the lions share.
Fortunately I was possessed of suf-
ficfent property to advance what money
was necessary to a thorough legal in
vestigation of the case. A long suit
followed, during which Mr.. Gooding
was committed to a private santa
rum. That his granddaughter was de-
voted to him on account of her affec-
ton for him became apparent from a
test made. / told her that the case
could be settled and her grandfather
go free if she would relinquish all
claim to his estate. The lighting Of
! hnr facn oh ronIiaa fba+ bn would