The morning papers were full of the robbery, and the young man’s name figured largely in their columns, while much was said about the “culpable hardihood and stubbornness of one so young in years, but apparently so old in crime.”
A day or two after the case was investigated, and, no further light being gained upon the affair, he was committed for trial.
Richard Forrester, a lawyer of note and a brother of Mrs. Dalton, in whose employ the young man had been for the past three years, immediately gave bonds for him to the amount of ten thousand dollars, and for the next three months devoted himself assiduously to working up the complicated case.
The day for Earle Wayne’s trial came, and only the following facts came to light:
His character, up to the night in question, as far as any one knew, was unimpeachable.
He had been in Mr. Forrester’s employ for three years, and during that time had gained that gentleman’s entire confidence and kind regard, and he had even contemplated making him a partner in his business as soon as he had completed his course of study and been admitted to the bar.
He spoke at some length, and in glowing terms, of his honesty and industry, and said he had deemed him, if anything, too rigid and morbidly conscientious upon what seemed to him points of minor importance.
All this spoke well for the prisoner, but it did not touch upon the matter under consideration, and could not therefore be accepted as evidence.
It seems that on the afternoon before the robbery Earle had asked permission to go out of town on business for himself. He had not stated what that business was, neither had Mr. Forrester inquired.
Now, however, the question came up, but Earle refused to state it, and this of itself turned the tide strong against him.