elinor wyllys-2-第54章

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　from　the　whole　of　this　part　of　the　evidence；　that　there　was　no　rational　ground　to　doubt　any　other　difference；　either　in　the　personal　resemblance　or　the　handwriting；　than　what　might　naturally　exist　in　the　same　man；　at　the　ages　of　eighteen　and　thirty…seven。

The　statement　offered　to　the　defendants　some　months　since；　tracing　the　last　career　of　the　plaintiff　was　now　introduced；　and　the　principal　facts　legally　proved　by　different　witnesses。　Officers　and　sailors　of　different　vessels　in　which　he　had　sailed；　were　sworn。　Among　others；　Captain　…；　of　the　packet　ship　***；　testified　to　the　plaintiff's　having　sailed　in　his　vessel；　under　the　name　of　William　Stanley；　nine　years　previously；　and　it　was　very　clearly　proved；　that　at　different　intervals　since　then；　he　had　continued　to　bear　the　same　name；　although　he　had　also　shipped　under　those　of　Bennet；　Williams；　and　Benson。　The　statement；　as　given　already　in　our　pages；　was　borne　out　satisfactorily　in　most　of　its　important　facts　by　the　evidence；　although　on　some　points　the　counsel　for　the　plaintiffs　confessed；　that　they　had　not　been　able　to　obtain　all　the　legal　proofs　they　had　wished　for。　After　tracing　the　plaintiff's　steps　as　a　sailor；　the　fact　of　his　having　been　long　endeavouring　to　bring　forward　the　claim　he　now　made；　was　examined。　Mr。　G…；　a　highly　respectable　lawyer　of　Baltimore；　testified　to　the　fact　that　several　years　previously；　the　plaintiff　had　applied　to　him　to　undertake　the　case　then　before　the　court；　to　speak　frankly；　this　evidence　surprised　the　defendants；　who　were　scarcely　prepared　for　it。　Then　came　proof　of　the　different　applications　to　Mr。　Clapp；　his　several　visits　to　Longbridge；　and　his　presence　at　Wyllys…Roof　six　years　previously；　when　locked　up　in　the　out…house　by　Hazlehurst；　Mr。　Clapp　repeating　at　this　moment；　a　very　broad　insinuation；　that　the　defendant　knew　the　claims　of　the　individual　he　had　put　in　confinement。　His　willingness　to　be　examined；　his　ready　consent　to　an　interview　with　Mr。　Wyllys；　Mrs。　Stanley；　and　Hazlehurst；　the　close　examination　which　he　bore　at　Wyllys…Roof；　were　brought　forward；　and　Mr。　Clapp　managed　to　introduce　most　of　the　important　questions　of　the　defendants　at　that　time；　with　the　accurate　answers　of　the　plaintiff；　in　his　account　of　that　meting。

The　court　adjourned　at　this　time；　and　many　individuals　among　the　audience　seemed　to　incline　very　decidedly　towards　the　plaintiff。　The　personal　friends　of　the　defendants　looked　somewhat　anxious；　although　Mr。　Wyllys　and　Hazlehurst　still　showed　a　steady　front。　The　testimony　which　we　have　given　so　briefly；　as　much　of　it　has　already　appeared　in　the　narrative；　occupied　the　court　more　than　one　day；　including　the　different　cross…examinations　of　several　witnesses；　by　the　defendants：　this　duty　fell　to　the　lot　of　Mr。　Grant；　who　carried　it　on　in　his　usual　dry；　sarcastic　manner；　but　was　unable　to　effect　any　important　change　in　the　state　of　things。

The　following　morning；　the　plaintiff's　papers　were　laid　before　the　court。　The　volume　of　the　Spectator；　and　the　letters　already　produced　at　Wyllys…Roof；　were　shown。　In　addition　to　these；　the　following　papers　were　now　brought　forward：　A　letter　addressed　to　the　name　of　Benson；　on　board　the　British　sloop…of…war；　Ceres；　another　directed　to　William　Bennet；　on　board　the　Dutch　barque　William；　when　at　Batavia；　nearly　eighteen　years　since；　this　letter　was　important；　as　it　was　evidently　written　to　an　American　sailor；　and　alluded　to　his　having　been　recently　shipwrecked　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　and　taken　up　by　a　Dutch　vessel。　These　documents　were　all　received　with　great　interest；　and　their　probable　authenticity　seemed　generally　admitted。　Mr。　Reed　then　observed：　〃We　shall　close　our　evidence；　gentlemen；　by　laying　before　you　testimony；　sufficient　in　itself　to　prove　triumphantly　the　identity　of　the　plaintiff；　when　connected　with　a　small　portion　only　of　that　which　has　preceded　it。〃

He　drew　from　his　papers　an　old　Russia…leather　pocketbook；　with　the　initials　W。　S。　stamped　upon　in　large　Gothic　letters。

Mr。　Wyllys　made　an　involuntary　movement　as　it　was　held　up　for　examination；　that　very　pocket…book；　or　one　exactly　like　it；　had　he　given　himself　to　the　son　of　his　old　friend；　the　very　last　time　he　saw　him。　He　watched　the　proceedings　at　this　moment　with　intense　interestevident　to　everybody。

〃This　pocket…book；　gentlemen；　is　the　property　of　the　plaintiff；〃　continued　Mr。　Reed。　〃The　initials　of　his　name；　W。　S。；　stamped　upon　it；　are　half…effaced；　yet　still　sufficiently　distinct　to　tell　their　story。　But　the　contents　of　this　precious　book　are　of　still　greater　importance　to　the　interests　of　my　client。〃

Mr。　Reed　then　opened　it　and　drew　from　one　side　a　letter；　and　read　the　address；　〃William　Stanley；　New　York；　care　of　Jonas　Thomson；　Master　of　the　ship　Dorothy　Beck。〃　〃This　letter；　gentlemen　of　the　jury；　is　signed　John　Stanleyit　is　from　the　father　of　William　Stanley；　in　whose　name　I　now　submit　it　to　your　examination。〃　The　letter　was　then　read；　it　corresponded　entirely　with　the　circumstances　already　known　to　the　reader；　its　date；　nature；　handwriting；　all　were　perfectly　correct；　and　the　signature　was　sworn　to　by　several　witnesses。　Mr。　Wyllys　was　evidently　moved　when　the　letter　was　read；　he　asked　to　look　at　it；　and　all　eyes　were　turned　on　his　venerable　countenance；　as　he　silently　examined　the　paper。　It　was　remarked　that　the　hand　which　held　the　letter　was　not　steady；　and　the　features　which　bent　over　it　betrayed　perceptible　agitation。　Mr。　Wyllys　turned　to　Hazlehurst；　as　he　finished　reading　the　sheet。

〃It　is　undeniably　genuine；　the　letter　of　John　Stanley　to　his　son！〃　he　said。

A　short　consultation　succeeded　between　the　defendants。　Hazlehurst　wrote　a　line　or　two　on　a　slip　of　paper；　and　handed　it　to　Mr。　Wyllys；　and　then　to　Ellsworth　and　Mr。　Grant。

〃Will　the　counsel　for　the　plaintiff　tell　us；　why　these　documents　were　not　produced　at　the　interview　with　the　defendants？〃　asked　Mr。　Ellsworth。

〃We　had　several　reasons　for　not　doing　so；〃　replied　Mr。　Clapp。　〃Had　our　client　not　been　received　so　coldly；　and　every　effort　employed　to　misunderstand　him；　we　should　have　produced　them　earlier；　although　it　would　have　been　impossible　to　have　shown　them　at　that　meeting；　since　they　were　not　then　in　our　possession。〃

〃Will　the　plaintiff　state　where；　and　from　whom　he　first　received　that　pocket…book？〃　asked　Mr。　Grant。

Here　the　counsel　for　the　plaintiff　consulted　together　a　moment。　It　seemed　as　if　their　client　was　willing　to　answer　the　question；　and　that　Mr。　Reed　advised　his　doing　so；　but　Mr。　Clapp　opposed　it。

〃The　defendants　must　be　aware；〃　he　said；　〃that　they　had　no　right　to　question　his　client；　Mr。　Stanley　therefore　declined　answering；　he　had　already；　at　the　proper　time　and　place；　answered　many　inquiries　of　theirs；　in　a　manner　which　had；　doubtless；　appeared　satisfactory　to　the　court；　although　it　had　not　satisfied　the　defendants。　Mr。　Stanley　had　lost　all　hope　of　answering　any　question　of　the　defendants；　in　a　manner　SATISFACTORY　TO　THEM。〃

Here　the　defendants　were　engaged　for　a　moment　in　making　notes。

Mr。　Reed　proceeded　with　the　contents　of　the　pocket…book。　〃The　letter　of　the　father　to　his　erring　son；　is　not　the　only　testimony　we　shall　produce　from　the　pocket…book　of　my　client；　gentlemen。〃

A　printed　slip　of　newspaper；　soiled；　and　yellow　with　age；　was　then　drawn　from　one　of　the　pockets；　and　read　by　Mr。　Reed：　〃Married；　Wednesday；　the　10th；　at　Trinity　Church；　New　York；　by　the　Rev。　Charles　G。　Stanley；　John　Stanley；　of　Greatwood；　Pennsylvania；　to　Elizabeth；　daughter　of　the　late　Myndert　Van　Ryssen；　of　Poughkeepsie。〃

Again　the　defendants　showed　evident　interest。　Mr。　Wyllys　passed　his　hand　over　his　face；　to　drive　away　melancholy　recollections　of　the　past；　the　present　Mrs。　Stanley　was　Miss　Van　Ryssen；　and　at　that　marriage　he　had　stood　by　the　side　of　his　friends；　as　the　priest　united　them。

〃Is　not　that　a　touching　memorial；　gentlemen；　of　the　workings　of　natural　feeling　in　the　heart　of　a　misguided　boy？　He　had　left　his　father；　left　his　home；　left　his　friends　in　a　fit　of　reckless　folly；　but　when　he　meets　with　the　name　of　the　parent　from　whom　he　is　estranged；　in　an　American　paper；　in　a　distant　land；　he　cuts　the　paragraph　from　the　sheet；　and　it　is　carefully　preserved　among　his　precious　things；　during　many　succeeding　years