Making Haste to Be Rich! CHAPTER 15.
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If these men were alone doomed to bear the consequences of their actions, we could see those consequences visited upon them without the acute pain we now too frequently feel. But, alas! it almost always happens, that the innocent suffer far more deeply than the guilty. It was so in the case of Franklin Riddell. From the moment the terrible accusations brought against her husband, reached the ears of his wife, she felt as if a hand had grasped her heart, and tightened upon it every hour with a crushing force. She did not refuse to be comforted, for none sought to mock her with vain words. The truth was too dreadful to admit of disguise or palliation. Misfortune she could have borne, no matter how severe, and shrunk closer and more lovingly to her husband's side. Affliction could not have crushed her heart, even though they had left it widowed; for she would have looked up to Heaven and said, "It is the Lord — let him do what seems good to Him." But crime! — crime committed by one whose name she bore — whoever honor was dearer than life — this was too much! This was more than she had received strength to endure, and she never lifted her bowed head again. On the day her husband was brought back to the city to answer to the law for his evil deeds — she lay with white flowers upon her motionless bosom — and it was better for her that she did.
After the death of his daughter, Mr. Ackland permitted himself to feel no more interest in one who had proved himself unworthy of all honest men's regard. When the popular excitement had so far died away, that it was presumed that Riddell could appear without danger of personal violence, Mr. Ackland was applied to, to enter into recognizance in the sum of ten thousand dollars for his appearance to answer the charge against him, but he declined, and the consequence was, that Riddell remained in prison until the day of his trial. There were those who blamed Mr. Ackland, and spoke of him as governed by a spirit of vindictiveness towards his unfortunate son-in-law. There might have been something of this in it — or there might not.
A month after the mother died — her babe sighed out its feeble breath, and was laid in its little coffin beside the moldering remains of her who had given it life; and before the wretched father was arraigned to answer for his crime, his boy was taken from the earth. Blanche, the eldest child, only remained, and she was yet too young to understand how much she had lost, or to be aware of the foul disgrace that her father had brought upon his name.
Immediately after Riddell left the city, on becoming aware that a discovery of his misdeeds was inevitable, measures were taken by his principal creditors that gave them possession of his property, to he held for the benefit of all who had claims against him. This placed everything beyond his control, so that after his arrest, he could command, by means of his representative, but little, if any money. When his trial finally came on, he had no powerful individual or money interest to sustain him. He could not say to his lawyers, "Here are ten, twenty, or thirty thousand dollars — it is yours if I am cleared," — and no one cared enough for him to say it in his stead. When Mr. Ackland was urged to come forward and try to serve him, his reply was —
"No. He has violated the law. Let the law vindicate itself, and if he were my own son, I would not turn a finger to save him from consequences so richly merited."
The trial commenced and soon terminated. All the evidence was conclusive, as to the matter of forgery; and other frauds were distinctly proved. The Judge, at the close of the proceedings, charged the jury that every point in the indictment had been clearly affirmed, and that a verdict to that effect must necessarily be found; and the jury, without retiring, so declared a verdict.
Two days afterwards, Riddell was brought before the Court and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, five in solitary confinement and five at hard labor.
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