Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-09-03
THE PUBLIC
DEFENDER
Nv +. \ mitchell

the people were Introducing courts ot
every one looked ny as Il very wise
man. suggested that together with
public prosecutor they have Il public
defender. Mike Couovcr replied to the
suggestion
1T seems to me" he said that it's
hard enough to get ut the truth with
prosecutor to muddlc the Jury. IL we
have a dcfcudcr 10 throw up the same
amount ot dust who's going to see
through IL all?"
But Mike had no standing with the
community beside bradshaw, who was
large man with an impressive de
mcauor and seldom spoke, hut when
he did his words Srcmcd to weigh a
ton. The public defender was appoint
cd, and the citizens congratulated them.
selves that justice thereafter would he
provided for accused persons as wei,
as tor the state.
The first person to come before the
court was Mike ConoNcr himself \
robbery had been committed in the
town involving the loss OF n watch
and about $40 IN currency 1t had oc-
CURED about L. o'clock at night. joel
darkness had hecu Walking home
when some one came up behind him,
put his arms around him, and n sCufilc
had euSucd The street was not light
ed, and darkness did not see his MS
sailant who soon released his hold
/ When Hardness arrived ut homo he
found that he had been relieved Of
gold watch and chain and the money
which he h8d carried IN his vest pocket
He rrportNi the matter TO the police,
who adv Used him to say nothing about
the matter for the present They were
engaged In frrreting out other crim
nAliticS, and II would aid them II the
criminal supposed that Hardness had
pockctcd his loss without reporting Il.
a few days after this Mary noolan
went to see Mrs. Couovcr. but, not
finding her at home, SAT down In the
! living room Mary had very keen ears
and, hearing Il ticking. wondered where.
1t came from. Making II search. she
found gold watch and chain In hu
rcau drawer.
Mike being poor laborer Mary
knew that he could not afford any
such timepIcCc and talked about her
find 10 her ncighbors The incident
reached the ears of the police. \
search was made OF Mikes home and
the watch found Hardness without
hesitation identified It as his property,
The bills he had lost were not found.
but they could not have been identified
II they had been found
Mike was arrested and the public
defender called upon him to hear what
he had To say and prepare his defense
The lawyer was II young man full of
the dignity OF the law. He was am.
bilious to take prominent part In
politics and hoped To make capital for
himself out OF this his first ease ns
public defender. Mike assured him
that he was perfectly innocent. He
had gone out Ia work very early one
morning and came upon II gold watch ]
and chain lying on the sidewalk. He
picked them mp and took them home
after his days work, showing them
to his wife and asking her what to do
about It, Bridget said TINT the owner
OF the watch had doubtless dropped II
unawares aud would advertise II In n
loss notice tucked to II tree or In the !
town paper. which would be issued IN |
n few days He had better he on the
lookout for such notice. But nothing |
appeared on the trees or In the paper |
and Bridget told Mike when he went |
III, . a ,,fh Nl,nt
she would try to find the owner
The public defender listened To this |
statement with supreme contempt. In !
the first place he did not believe IT, !
In the second he could not prove IT, |
and In the third he proposed to show |
his ingenuity In getting his client of |
lie asked Mike how much money hr ,
had, and Mike said that Bridget wns
his banker and he believed she Ind /
something Ike 5000 In n stocking. The
defender told him to bring II to him
Mike" he said. your story would
never go down with jury. We must
prove nm alibi" Mike didn't know
what an alibi wns, but he produced
the 500.
ished to learn that on the night of the
robbery he was In II town fifty miles
distant and at midnight was drinking
I'm the Alhambra saloon with several
witnesses who swore to the statement.
The defendant made n strong case.
and the prosecutor was much troubled
TO disprove the alibi. He talked all
day to gain time and during the night
paid one Of the defendants witnesses
SO TO swear that he had been mis-
taken in the man. This broke down
the statements Of the other witnesses
for the defense. and the facts were 80
conclusive against the prisoner that he
was convicted without the Jurors leav
ing their seats.
"Michnei COnOver. stand up, said
tad, tTas, ~,