Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-01-11

ANAAt W A. bhs FNt So $50 .s'%s@.~@ -
witnesses who had no existence"
Here was mixed up affair. and no
mistake. A pair Of lovers were each
claiming TO be guilty. and solely
guilty. of crime. Which was the In
noccnt. which the guilty one? had
nothing by which TO decide. ! thought
OF the experts Should | submit this
new feature of the case to them?
What would IL avail: A prcponder.
ance OF their evidence had proved JEFF.
fcrson guilty. They could not be ex-
pccted TO 20 back ON their former evil
dence by declaring that Miss Went
worth committed the forgery. l
could get other experts who had not
yet been brought into the case, but II
they declared that Miss Wentworth
had done the writing II would only
prove expert testimony 10 be worth.
less.
Here | paused In my cogitations. for
| was struck with an idea. might
produce Miss Wentworth's confession
ia court. II would probably be regard
ell n ruse 10 save her lover. But sup
pose ! could get experts 10 testify TINT
her handwriting had In Il the charac
terlstlcs OF the forged signature. |
could at least save my client The
same evening ! acted on this thought.
and. though | had difficulty In finding
even one expert who had not been
called In the case. he had as good re-
putc for skill In his profession as any
OF the others. To my surprise. he told
me there was no doubt that Miss
Wentworth was the guilty party.
That settled my course for the FL.
ture. The next day when the court
opened produced the second confes
sion and the affidavit of the expert In
photography that In his opinion tho
confcssors had forged the signature to
the will in question
There was n great deal of confusion
In what followed IN court. The legal
aspect Of the case had entirely chang
ed. Two different persons had con.
fesSed TO have written signature that
could only have been written by one.
After consultation with their client the
plaintiffs lawyers took the ground that
there was q confession on the part of
the beneficiary under II that he had
forged Il. Therefore. the property go.
Ing TO Anna Blake under the fornei
will, she had no interest In further
criminal prosecution They asked for
y .. n
posed 10 me that II my client would
sign away all claim To- his unclc's prop.
erIy they would drop the prosecution
against him and so far %s they were
concerned would not prosecute Miss
Wentworth.
declined the proposition on the
ground that II was impossible 10 prove
either Of the lovers guilty. But they.
feeling confident that the chancery
court would give their client the prop.
erty under the earlier will. dropped the
matter. and jefferson went forth free
man.
My own solution OF the problem In
volved In the two confessions was
that jefferson. being disappointed In
inherltine the property. signified that
the marriage could not take place
This threw In the way OF Miss Went.
worth n temptation that she could moi
resist. She concocted II later will, bun
her lover in order To save her from tho
consequences of her crime when crimi
nal proceedings We're commenced con.
fesscd himself guilty. Nevertheless
was not certain as to this or anything
concerning the parties or the AFFAIR In
which they were concerned. That ei.
ther one or the other or both Were
guilty did not doubt. but this opinion
WIS rather based on the evidence than
on the bearing or appearance of either
Of them. could not throw off an i'm.
preston that jefferson was n fine fcl
low ana Miss Wentworth was lovely
girl. And had not each attempted to
relieve the other OF the burden By 4
confcsslons
The matter of the Inheritance was
still In the chancery court when one
day received letter from man In
Australia. | had that day received au
invitation to the wedding OF Arnold
Jefferson and Dora Wentworth. pat
he letter In my pocket and said moth
Ing about II till ! attended the we'd
ding. which took place In n little
church with no attendants except my
self. Indeed. II had not been expected
That even | would accept When the
clergyman who performed the cere.
mony came 10 the words with all my
worldly goods thee endow" and the
groom had repeated them / called .
halt and produced the letter had re
ceived from Australia. II read as fol.
| lows
Have seen IN an American newspaper
reference to the case against Arnold lei
ferson ! was an intimate friend Of tho
late William jefferson ana WINS ono Of tho
witnesses 20 a WIN he made few weeks
before his death. | return to America
soon on business and viii call upon sou
Hot long after you receive this.
SiLAS ORMSBY.
Novar shoft for~at thu lnoi- thot