EXPERIENCES OF A LAW CLERK.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1657, 6 March 1884, Page 3

EXPERIENCES OF A LAW CLERK.

THE GOLD EOBBEIIY.

C Continued. )

What a downey old file E. is to be sure, thought Brown as he walked to the lock-up ; and what a sea of mud a popular police court solicitor must wade through before he can sit down at such a dinner table as E — —has at Brighton, or receive as his guests such highly respectable people. /', If he thought this fellow innocent he would have no interest in- the case,- but thinking him guilty, Ms experience teaches him that the, money"" to try and prove him innocent will be forthcoming, because he believes there, has not been time to get rid of it, and so lie let the magistrates lock him up for fear he should squander it. IA. few days before the sessions Brown said to Mr B, " the more I stir in this matter of Doyle's the worse the case stinks. I'm stuck Mr R ." , " knew it." " without—" . "Well, without what." " Without the gold was lost in the Splitter's hut, which, in my opinion, it never was." Mr E laughed. <Oh! Brownwill" you eyer. learn your profession/ why, where else could.it be be; lost. I knew that at once." " But you: don' t. bol io ve it." .. • •" Wha'thasthattodowithit. I don't know it was not lost there; I don't know it existed at all. I know Doyle sold some gold, but have they tried yet to prove that that gold is the gold Davies says he lost." "No!"

"Because Davios caunot swear to the gold \ ho only bought some of ifc. Porhaps his partner, Gardiner, can swear to some of it at the trial ; that remains to be seen. Will the old lady go into the witness box and stick to what she says ? " "Yes!" ' ' , | \ 'Then the, jcase. is clear — without Gardener can swear to the gold himself, and bring others — it was lost at the Splitter's hut, where they were drinking with a lot of women and rough men. What sort of a man is this squatter." "A perfectly respectable man I '•i ' -it' v hear." -■ ■-' " Then where are your brains? get out a subpoena for him, and jump on your horse and go up and find him — don't you see — serve him yourself. That will be expensive — £20 at least. I can't loose the sorviees of so valuable a clerk for perhaps three days. Miss Smith must see that at once. What a head you have Brown. Miss Smith did see it." .._..- ". : She begged most earnestly that Mr Brown would go at once, and spare no expense. If the poor innocent young man, wliottl she looked upon as a son, could only bo proved as guiltless as she knew him to be," money was nothing. '' We are not asked to prove his innocence Miss Smith," said Brown, "it is for his accusers to prove him guilty. Are you prepared with the rest of the nioiiey for his N defeitce ; the counsel's fee will he thirty guineas^ and must be handed to him with his brief." " 1 will pay it now Mr Brown, and for heaven's sake do your best to save the poor fellow." " This old lady Weeds freely," re« marked Mr R ; ' ' how much of tliS money is thore left now ? " " What money,'-' asked Brown. "Why the money the gold was sold for— how mubh. liave yttu had ?jt ' ' About M 1 do altogether. ' J " Let us sec 1 , tlicu \ eiglit pounds ihe police have, new clothes, siDendin'g' money before lie was taken, present or two perhaps. By Jove, Brown, there is not much loft. Make what you can out of that £20 for the journey ; it's the last jou will get out of this case. I will consider the subpoena served, and draw tho brief for" Dr Sewell,' 1 Brown went lip to Dandenoug, and waS directed by the' laudlor'd where 1 he stayed for' the' n*ight to Mr Robinson 'i*/ squatter) place. He got lip eriily and rode there before breakfast. The squatter was much annoyed. "Hang it," he. said tb Browu, "I am a married man. The only thing I can say is that I was in company with thab fool Slingsby Davies and an amusing young doctor in a disreputable shanty where they sell grog without a license. How will that sound forme?" "It is unpleasant, certainly," waid Brown j " but I daiinot help it. You see t hnfc come myself - } instead of sending a constable. Perhaps you ijiay not be called at all ; then no one need know anything about ifc." v " Well, it cannot be helped. Come in and have a nip and some breakfast, anvhoAV." When" Brown got back to the hotel lie" saw three horses tied 'outside. Giving his own to a groom to be fed, he went in and found the two Davies brothers and a; third party who- ..-proved to be Slingsby's partner, G.ardencr. They were talking with the landlord about the robbery, and asked JBrowu to take a drink, which he did. As they did not Know who he was, though he knew them, he said — .-._.. „ " Gentlemen, it Avould.be hardly fair to let you go on talking without telling you that I am clerk to the solicitor for the defence;" : .. " ji "Oh, all right,' 1 - daidSliiigsby} "we don't care what we say. I know the fellow had the gold." "It is very fair of you, though," said Gax'dener. "We are all going to town to be ready for the trial ; 1 propose we ride together." This was ag»re*ed'*to, and as, when 4 e/er they were coming near a hotelj they raced to it the last man up paying for drinks, Slingsby, who seemed to be a sort of butt and. was oiv a heavy mare, always had to payf or them. By the time they reached town they were all, except Brown, ripe, for anything, and. the best of friends. Next morning, M-v R — — said " You can pay a last visit to Miss Smith, and tell her, Brown, thatif she would prefer a bill of costs made out she can have it. At present all she has paid at different times have been fees ; but you ought to know hdw to put. it. Get a cheque for £25 ;' that will about finish it/; She paid the- moneyy ami' the next day came to the office quite prepared to go to Court aud swear that she had givey. Doyle tlie gold, as she stated. . Mi' 11 - — looked straight at her.' ", Xqi^ are quite sure, Miss Smith," lie said, " that you can do this ?" '■ * ■ ," Quite, |ir.{' >, ? g Wheii BroAvnJ gbt to thef Qourt he found Gard'enci 1 aiid the two brothers Davies. They immediately invited him, over to Darcy's.to haye a drink. He saw that'all-bf' them; "especially the fool Slingsby, had boon; imbibing freely. -. ' The squatter' came tip to Brown. "If you can prevent me from being called," he said,- " I am not particular to a £10 note." . Brown laughed. " Out of my power, and, as to the money, a Lvw'clWk is supposed, for some reason or other, to be a gentleman." " I beg your pardon," said the squatter. " How do you think it will go?" . • • " Think he will get off," said Brown laughing. " That. shanty was such a likely place to lose gold in." " Confound the shanty !" The case was called on. The detectives stated that from information they had received, they arrested "Doyle, then they produced the gold sold", by Doyle. c - ■ ,[ Dr Sewell had' no questions- to" put. The gold brokers went into the bofc one after the other, identified the

prisoner, and swore to his selling them the gold. Dr Sewell had no questions to ask them, " Call Slingsby Davies." After a time Slingsby came, and got into the box, looking rather wild about the eyes. Brown pulled the old D.r by the gown., 'He's nearly clriink ' i -|ie" w*lns; peredV ' ' ' > •• - -a , • m * The Dr nodded. Slingsby was comfortable enough iv the hands of the Crown Prosecutor, and told his story pretty straight, till he was shewn the two parcels of gold, and asked if he could identify any of the pieces; • V/l-;..* di *■_=; -,/;„ This was beyond Slingsby iv his then state, so he said he couldn't, but his partner could. j The Crown Prosecutor said, never mind his partner, he would speak for himself, and sat down. Dr Sewell took a good look at Slingsby over the gold rims of his spectacles, rose, gave his gown a hitch, and said quietly — " How many intoxicating drinks have you had this morning, Mr Davies ?" SJingfsby Was not. quite sure. " liave you li fid "fifty ?"■ " No," indignantly. " Have you had five ?" " Yes, he thought he had." Then came the^usual badgering had he had forty, twenty- ; nvo, twelve, and what did they of. Poor Slingsby $ot confused, and at last reckless till the Judge told him he had a good mind to .-eominit; him for 1 con* tempt for coming into Court in such a state. When shewn the gold again he said at once he could not swear to it. William Davies could only prove that his brothel' aud I) oyle slept at his house, and he got jlTl'e! prim and for not being quite sober*.' Gardener stated that Doyle told him he was ha.rd.jrpj, and must go to town to boi'roW iftpney from a friend, but wiieii lie was sliewn the gold he liosii-ai'e'd wiiftt to" /.ay. foi' Vr Sewell' s eyes were fixed' /full xlgpn Win, At last he said that, he \vas f morally ccftain it was the gold he had purchased at different times, . but he could not undertake to swear to it. " Do you wish-to ask him any questions, Dr Sewel^':' 11 No, your.,Haiior ( " " Any' more witnesses, Mr Adainson?" : •■' v No, your Honor.. " Now," Df v -Sew.elt" said the Judge. " Well, yotii 1 Hbririr, I \vili ?io£ take up the time o£ the Court. I siib'iftit that the case.-f or ; the prosecution has broken clown, and Aye are not called upon to prove our innocence." The Crown Prosecutor admitted this to be the,,case, and the Judge told the prisoner he could leave the dock. Doyle was so Related that he could not leave welt* alone. " I trust, your Honor,'* he.. said | "that I leave the dock without the slightest imputation on my character*" ■-'•,, "" L'eaV-o, tiic dock; sir.," •'Well," fci# M)HR— — ,= wheii Brown got to" the ci(}ic^ a bf6 t ke' db'wn; couldn't swear to the gold.'* " Sure of ft"; ought to have got that eight pounds out of the hands of the police." *■-.-.'■■ *"i " Do you think he was guilty ?" " AVould stakeriny life on it." " But the old lady." "MyideaP^Brown, I can only say, with Hdmle^'Shero are more things in heaven aiid. e'arbh than are dreamt of in thy philosophy.' Had she been n young or even middle-ag<*jd woman I could hive understood it as it is." " We; don't ki^ow all about it," said Brown, iwitli a^ojiuekle. : " No,) and |£> regret that eightpounds.'' %.. r^.