Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-01-11
A DOUBLE
CONFESSION
The Singular Case OF a Pair
of Lovers
BY JOHN z. OdELyIH

=
one Of the questions MS TO what IL
and what Is not allowable In the legal
profession that laymen are not apt to
understand IL whether IL is honorable
for a lawyer TO defend 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 un-
der hnllucination that they have
committed crime OF which they are
entirely innocent
| had very singular case Of this
kind when | was prncticing. before l
went on the bench. A young man
was accused Of forging his uncle's will.
lie was heir-at-law TO the property In
yolved 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 housekecper. II was this house
keeper, Anna Blake. who accused the
beneficiary under the second Will with
having forged his uncles name to II.
Arnold jefferson, my client. when
came to confer with him about his
case. asked me whether I would de-
fend person who confessed himself
guilty | said that | would. where
upon he told me that In order 10 pre-
vent his unclc's property from going
out of the family and secure II for
himself he had forged his uncle's name
10 the second will.
| was somewhat staggered al this. for
| II proved him innocent would divert
| the property from the channel In which
the testator intended II to go and de.
prive the real owner Of II that It might
90 10 criminal. piled the young man
with questions as 10 how he had come
TO perpetrate such crime. and he told
me that he was In love with girl
whom he would Ike 10 marry and did
! not consider himself able to do so with
out this property. Besides. he believed
that his uncle was intending 10 leave
II TO him ut the time OF his death
| IL | declined to take the case and he
could get no other lawyer 10 do so the
Judge would assign him counsel. There
fore | proceeded with II. though reluc-
| family. for II Is not pleasant for con
scientious lawyer 10 defend man who
has admitted his guilt. | would content
| myself with trying TO get my client on
| with as light sentence as possible.
There was n chance for the young
man in this-experts In chirography
would be called who would compare
the signature 10 the win with Jeffcr-
sons handwriting. These experts are
apt 10 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. employed another expert, who
testified that he could not have written
H. But unfortunately OF the five ex-
| perts called four testified that there
were certain strokes In the signature
that were 10 be found In Jcffcrson'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,
i Sllas Ormsby. was not 10 he found.
They were supposed 10 be myths, aud
the plaintiffs attorneys. though they
had no proof that the defendant had
written their names, threw out broad
hint that he had done SO.
4 The case looked SO desperate that |
advised my client 10 produce his con-
fession and throw himself on the mercy
OF the court. By this means he might
secure light sentence. whereas II he
persisted In denying his guilt In the
face Of such conclusive evidence he
would very likely get heavy one.
He said that he would think the mat.
ter over. This was after court nd.
journed on Saturday, and ! feared
could not keep the trial In progress
more than day or two longer. And
as the case stood jefferson was sure 10
be convicted Sunday evening ! re.
ceived n call from young Indy. Miss
Dora Wentworth. who turned nil my
expectations awry. She told me that II
was she. and not Arnold Jefferson. who
had committed the forgery.
felt II incumbent upon me 10 sub
jcct her 10 searching examination
10 get Mt the truth. She said that she
was the person whom Jefferson was
engaged &c marry. He had been all
lover should be until about the time
his uncle had died and no viii was
found leaving the property 10 him.
Then-she told him that Will would
he found II she had 10 write one her
self This. she added. she had done.
I asked Miss Wentworth II she
would sign written confession 20
this effect. and she said she would. SO
asked her TO write IT, Before she
gould again see jefferson went 20 the
Jail and. showing him her confession.
asked him why he had made false
one himself He seemed n good deal
a