Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 03.pdf/52

Rh The prisoner, on being asked what he had to say in his defence, read a paper stating that, on his joining the firm, in 1807, he found the concern deeply involved in conse quence of building speculations. The house remained in embarrassment until 1810, and then experienced an overwhelming loss from the failure of Brickwood & Co., for which concern it had accepted and discounted bills to the amount of one hundred and seventy thousand pounds. In 1814, 1815, 1816, the firm was called upon, in consequence of speculations in building, to produce one hundred thousand pounds. In 18 19 the most responsible of the partners died, and the embarrassments of the house were again increased by being called upon to refund his capital. During all this time the house was without resources, except those for which he was now responsible. He had received no relief from his partners. He kept two establishments on a very moderate scale. He had never embezzled one shilling. Having finished reading the paper, Fauntleroy sat down and wept, and manifested much agitation. Never had there been such witnesses to character. Sir Charles Forbes and fifteen other witnesses, who had known Mr. Fauntleroy for from ten to twenty years each, attested their high opinion of the prisoner's honor, integrity, and goodness of disposition. They were all his sincere friends, and were all in the same tune. No doubt of his honor and integrity had ever crossed their minds. They all revealed the serene mountain peak of respectability from which the banker had fallen headlong. "Kind, honorable," said one. " Just, fair, and kind-hearted," cried another." " A most benevolent man, with a stainless character for integrity," declared a third. There is no moment in a trial which in volves death, so solemn as the moment when the jury rise and retire fo consider their verdict Even the barristers' worn faces glow with excitement. The judge has an air of grave abstraction, and seems pondering over the few still unsolvable mysteries of the case. A cold dew has broken out on the forehead of the prisoner, and he clutches at the dock as if that hold only retained him in life. In that short interval of time there is crowded upon him the agony of years. The horrors of death have already come. There js a dead silence; then a dis tant sound of feet; it grows nearer; the crowd surge back. The jury is returning. They enter flushed and grave. The judge gives them one searching look, and the fore man rises to answer the solemn question to be asked him. The prisoner's whole soul is absorbed in the answer. In Fauntleroy's case the jury retired for twenty minutes. The prisoner seemed deeply agitated during their absence, and rose when the mob poured in annotincing their return. The verdict was, " Guilty of uttering the forged instrument, knowing it to be forged." Judge Park, after bending down and ex changing a few remarks with the counsel in a low voice, suddenly and with extreme abruptness raised his head, and exclaimed, "Henry Fauntleroy!" The prisoner started, and rose as if in expectation that sentence was about to be pronounced on him. The learned judge proceeded : — "Henry Fauntleroy, the Attorney-General does not feel it necessary, in the discharge of his duty, to proceed further with the other indictments which have been pre ferred against you. It is no part of my painful duty to pronounce the awful sen tence of the law, which will follow the ver dict which has just been recorded. That unpleasing task will devolve on the learned Recorder at the termination of the sessions; but it is part of my duty as a Christian mag istrate to implore you now that you bethink yourself seriously of your latter end." A convulsive sob from the wretched pris oner was audible through the court. When the judge had concluded, Fauntleroy was quite overpowered, being barely able to raise his hands as if in the attitude of prayer,