Year: 1876




he turned away. was too deeply
moved to stop him, and when he had
disappeared 1 started to rejoin my
wife with dawning impression that
the man might be slightly deranged.
But my darling was safe-her broad,
fieecy cloak had fioated out and kept
her head above water and went on
my way rejoicing, resolved that the
preserver Of my child should not be
forgotten.


"I will not tell you OF the emotion
of my wife when she held her child
once more i'm her arms. We reached
Shireton before night, and found
quarters at a comfortable tavern.


%On the following day Laban Sar-
furt called upon me and was about to
spread his evidence for my inspec-
tioD. when 1 interrupted him. I told
him could not accept his confidence
until I had made up my mind to take
his case In hand. Something seemed
to whisper there was danger ahead.
I did not feel comfortable in that
mans presence. felt as though he
was trying to buy me. The court
would sit In four days. I told him /
would give him a final answer In two
days from that.


@That evening I made a confidant
OF my wife, and asked her what I
should do. II I take the case,' I
said, 1 am sure of $1,000 She bade
me do what was right. God has
been very kind to u.s. she said, Let
us look to him for guidance


After this I called on the clergy
man of the place, whose son had been
my classmate In college, and whom /
had once before visited. He re-
ceived me heartily, and by and by 1
asked him about William Acton. The
result Of all he told me was summed
up In his closing sentence. Said he:


81 am sure William Acton was
Philip Acton's child-in fact, know
it-and I am confident that Philip
and Betsey were married. The moth
er died very soon after her child was
born, and We know that Philip always
treated the boy as his legitimate
child; and that he loved him as such
I can confidently AFFIRM"


@On the following morning, after
breakfast, as I sat by the window in
the bar-room, I saw coming from the
street the man who had saved my
child. He was walking slowly, like
one in trouble. Ipointed him out to
my host and asked him who he was.
That is William Acton. Perhaps
you have heard of the trouble he
Is likely to have with Laban Sar-
furt2'


II said / had heard.


81 hope he may come out all
right, the host added, but an fear
full. He has got a hard and heartless
customer to deal with


Il shut my mouth and held my
peace until Laban Sarfurt called for
his final answer. said to him:


Mr.. Sarfurt, have been consider
ing all this time whether i could un-
dertake your case with a clear con-
science-whether I should be helping
the side Of justice and right In help
ing you. 1 had concluded that I
could not do so before / had seen
William Acton, to know him by name
] now know him for man who risk
ed his own life to save the life OF my
child For that deed I will reward
him II I can. have not as yet ac-
cepted one OF your private dis
closures; I have gained from you
nothing which you could wish to keep |
from the public. Can not take your |
case. but 1 tell you frankly, that IL
you prosecute. will defend William
Acton.


Il did not mind Sarfurt's wrath.
He raved and swore and stamped, and |
then went OF and engaged two law
yers from Herkimer to take his case.
1 called upon Acton and told him / |
would defend him, II he would accept |
my services, as ] had accepted his.
He took my hand and thanked me.


Il have made great many pleas
In my life, but think I never made
a better one than did to that jury
on that occasion. They were out not
over five minutes. By their verdict
William Acton was the lawful pos.
SCISSOR Of the estate his father had
left.


From that day / never hesitated
to refuse case to which could not
give my heart. Such a stand on the
part Of lawyer becomes known, and
the public feels it; and what the pub
lie feels juries are sure to feel.


Concerning William Acton, I will
only add that he became my bosom
friend. He always felt that he owed
his title to his valuable property to
me; and / knew that to him was in
debted for the home that was mine
for thirty years. He was very deli
cate in the gift OF that piece Of prop
ty. He decided it to my wife. The
husband Of my eldest daughter is his
oldest son."


The Iowa State Register vouches
for this: In the northern part OF the
city, as a veracious reporter reports,
a young lady and young man get on
the steps OF Sunday evening and
enter into contract. For each
shooting star he is to receive a kiss.
On one of these interesting occasions
half hour passed away, and not a
solitary star shot across the sky.
But after while the cherry lips OF
the young lady parted, and she called
her young mans attention to the fly.
ing meteors that were about to es-
cape his observation; then she got to
calling his attention to the lightning
bugs, and finally got him down to
steady work on the light Of a lantern