My attorney endeavored to have me sham insanity during the trial, and he
became irritably insolent in his manner toward me because I positively
refused to do so. He told me that if I stuck to the truth I would surely
be convicted, but if I followed his advice by openly assuming idiotic
tactics in court and making false statements under oath, according to
his directions, he could save me without any trouble. He frequently
growled and cursed at me for the straightforward way that I gave my
testimony, claiming that his professional reputation was being ruined by
my telling the truth. He privately acknowledged that, in his opinion, I
was guilty, but that if he were successful in having me acquitted, he
would achieve great fame thereby, and incidentally be able to increase
the size of his future clients' fees.
It was proved in court-alas, the saddest blow I had yet received, that
Arletta was a frivolous young woman, who practically lived a life of
ease and luxury, by monetary gifts derived from two wealthy men, one a
United States Senator and the other a prominent Wall Street financier,
both being high pillars of the Church, and one of them being old enough
to be her grandfather. That was the most painful testimony of the whole
proceedings. It did not seem possible to me that the dear, sweet,
innocent girl, whom I had loved so much for her gentleness and kindness
of nature, could possibly lead such a dual existence, and I could not
understand why she should have deceived me, with accounts of herself so
at variance with the facts.
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