Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-13
The Argus Daily Story
A Double Confession-By John R. Oglevie.
Copyrighted. 1912. by Associated Literary Bureau

and what is not allowable in the legal
profession that laymen are not apt to
understand is whether it is honorable
for a lawyer to defend a client who
has confessed himself guilty of the
crime with which he is charged. One
of the reasons why this is not only al
lowable for an attorney, but is his
duty, is that the confession may be
false. Many persons have labored I'M
der a hallucination that they have
committed a crime of which they are
entirely innocent.
l had a very singular case of this
kind when 1 was practicing, before
went on the bench. A young man
was accused of forging his uncle's will.
He was heir-at-law to the property in
volved by reason Of relationship to the
testator. But several years before the
will was drawn one was executed leav-
ing the property to woman who was
his housekeeper. 1t was this house
keeper, Anna Blake. who accused the
beneficiary under the second will with
having forged his uncle's name to 1t.
Arnold jefferson, my client, when
came to confer with him about his
case. asked me whether 1 would de-
! fend a person who confessed himself
guilty. / said that l would. where
upon he told me that in order to pre-
vent his uncle's property from going
out of the family and secure it for
himself he had forged his uncie's name
to the second will.
l was somewhat staggered at this, for
| If proved him innocent l would divert
| the property from the channel in which
the testator intended it to so and de-
| prive the real owner of 1t that 1t might
go to a criminal. piled the young man
with questions as to how he had come
to perpetrate such crime. and he told
me that he was in love with girl
whom he would like to marry and did
not consider himself able to do so with
out this property. Besides, he believed
that his uncle was intending to leave
1t to him at the time of his death.
If I declined to take the case and he
! could get no other lawyer to do so the
| Judge would assign him counsel. There
fore l proceeded with it, though reluc-
family. for 1t is not pleasant for a con-
scientious lawyer to defend a man who
has admitted his guilt. would content
myself with trying to get my client off
with as light sentence as possible.
There was a chance for the young
man in this-experts in chirography
would be called who would compare
the signature to the will with Jeffer
sons handwriting. These experts are
apt to differ in such matters. The
plaintiff called the most prominent one
of the lot. who declared that my client
must have written the signature to the
will. l employed another expert, who
testified that he could not have written
It, But unfortunately of the five ex
perts called four testified that there
were certain strokes in the signature
that were to be found in Jefferson's
writing.
There were two signatures Of wit
nesses to the will jefferson was charg
ed with forging. One Of these persons
Edward Bronson, was dead; the other
Silas Ormsby, was not to be found
They were supposed to be myths, ant
the plaintiffs attorneys. though they
had no proof that the defendant hat
written their names, threw out a broaC
hint that he had done so.
The case looked so desperate that
advised my client to produce his con
fpSSion and throw himself on the mercy
Of the court. BY this means he nigh
secure u light sentence, whereas If Il,
persisted in denying his guilt in the
face Of such conclusive evidence h
would very likely get a heavy one.
He said that he would think the mat
ter over. This was after court ad
journed on Saturday, and l feared
could not keep the trial in progress
more than a day or two longer. AnC
as the case stood Jefferson was sure t
be convicted. Sunday evening l re
ceived a call from a young lady, Mis-!
Dora Wentworth. who turned all IN!
expectations awry. She told me that i
was she, and not Arnold Jefferson, who
had committed the forgery.
/ felt ii incumbent upon me to sub
ject her to 4 searching examination
to get at the truth. She said that she
3
engaged to marry. He had been al
lover should be until about the time
his uncle had died and no will wa!
found leaving the property to him
Then she told him that a will would
be found If she had TO write one her
self This. she added. she had done.
n / asked Miss Wentworth If she
would sign a written confession Z
this effect, and she said she would. s.
asked her to write it. Before she
could again see jefferson I went to th'
jail and, showing him her confession
asked him why he had made fnls'
one himself. He seemed Il good dea
agitated at seeing the matter IaiC
down in black and white. Then hC
burst out passionately:
81 didn't believe when she threaten
ed to do this thing that she would b'
so desperate. Nevertheless when the
second will was found l feared sht
had written and signed II. PreferrInl
to suffer myself rather than that she
should suffer for her crime, / have