Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 February 1893 — A Legal Incident. [ARTICLE]

A Legal Incident.

A very bad and dishonest failure had occurred, in which a certaip trusted clerk seemed to have been guilty of the larger share of the crime. He, with his employer, was arrested and charged with the crime. The clerk stoutly protested his innocence and denied all knowledge of the fraud or any connection with his employer. . However, there was a chain of circumstantial evidence woven around him which his counsel could not break down. The clerk was convicted and sent to jail for a term of years. After being conflned in prison for about a year the poor fellow’s mind began to weaken, and Anally he broke down completely. He was taken from prison and transferred to a hospital for the insane. All the time he continued to protest his innocence. After he had been conAned in the hospital three or four years, certain facts in the failure were elicited which clearly proved that he was entirely innocent of having committed any crime. Of course steps were immediately taken to secure the pardon of the man; and an order was given for his immediate release. It now became the delicate duty of the counsel in the case to break the happy intelligence to the pardoned clerk. After a consultation between the counsel on both sides of the case, it was agreed to call upon the poor clerk and make an attempt to arouse him from the apathy and lethargy into which he had fallen. This they decided to do by accusing him again of the theft of the funds. The parties to this strange drama assembled in the room of the stricken man. He sat silent and Immovable, with his head in his hands. As the old and ever rankling charge of dishonesty fell upon his ears the effect was exactly that which Lad been foreseen and expected. He slowly raised his head. Looking his pseudo accuser straight in the eye he replied in a loud tone of voice, with a rising inflection and with great energy: “It is a lie!” The critical moment had come. The lawyer who had prosecuted him and secured his incarceration then stepped up to him and said: “You are right. It is a lie, and you stand before the community a vindicated man. I have the order for your release in my hand.” Then the lawyers stood off to watch the effect, hoping that the joy at the prospect of release and vindication would have the effect of putting the clerk again in his right mind. But no sign of joy overspread the man’s features. His face bore its usual stolid expression. It seemed to have no apparent effect upon him. The clerk turned his face toward the speaker, as if he did not understand him. Then his head fell forward and he was precipitated upon the floor at the feet of the lawyers. A single glance sufficed. He was dead.