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eason　told　him　that　only　an　indestructible　fabric　of　fact　or　seeming　would　do　it。　　He　believed　in　the　financial　rightness　of　the　thing　he　had　done。　　He　was　entitled　to　do　it。　　Life　was　war　particularly　financial　life；　and　strategy　was　its　keynote；　its　duty；　its　necessity。　　Why　should　he　bother　about　petty；　picayune　minds　which　could　not　understand　this？　He　went　over　his　history　for　Steger　and　the　jury；　and　put　the　sanest；　most　comfortable　light　on　it　that　he　could。　　He　had　not　gone　to　Mr。　Stener　in　the　first　place；　he　saidhe　had　been　called。　　He　had　not　urged　Mr。　Stener　to　anything。　　He　had　merely　shown　him　and　his　friends　financial　possibilities　which　they　were　only　too　eager　to　seize　upon。　　And　they　had　seized　upon　them。　　（It　was　not　possible　for　Shannon　to　discover　at　this　period　how　subtly　he　had　organized　his　street…car　companies　so　that　he　could　have　〃shaken　out〃　Stener　and　his　friends　without　their　being　able　to　voice　a　single　protest；　so　he　talked　of　these　things　as　opportunities　which　he　had　made　for　Stener　and　others。　　Shannon　was　not　a　financier；　neither　was　Steger。　　They　had　to　believe　in　a　way；　though　they　doubted　it；　partlyparticularly　Shannon。）　　He　was　not　responsible　for　the　custom　prevailing　in　the　office　of　the　city　treasurer；　he　said。　He　was　a　banker　and　broker。

The　jury　looked　at　him；　and　believed　all　except　this　matter　of　the　sixty…thousand…dollar　check。　　When　it　came　to　that　he　explained　it　all　plausibly　enough。　　When　he　had　gone　to　see　Stener　those　several　last　days；　he　had　not　fancied　that　he　was　really　going　to　fail。　　He　had　asked　Stener　for　some　money；　it　is　truenot　so　very　much；　all　things　consideredone　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　dollars；　but；　as　Stener　should　have　testified；　he　（Cowperwood）　was　not　disturbed　in　his　manner。　　Stener　had　merely　been　one　resource　of　his。　　He　was　satisfied　at　that　time　that　he　had　many　others。　　He　had　not　used　the　forceful　language　or　made　the　urgent　appeal　which　Stener　said　he　had；　although　he　had　pointed　out　to　Stener　that　it　was　a　mistake　to　become　panic…stricken；　also　to　withhold　further　credit。　　It　was　true　that　Stener　was　his　easiest；　his　quickest　resource；　but　not　his　only　one。　　He　thought；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　that　his　credit　would　be　greatly　extended　by　his　principal　money　friends　if　necessary；　and　that　he　would　have　ample　time　to　patch　up　his　affairs　and　keep　things　going　until　the　storm　should　blow　over。　　He　had　told　Stener　of　his　extended　purchase　of　city　loan　to　stay　the　market　on　the　first　day　of　the　panic；　and　of　the　fact　that　sixty　thousand　dollars　was　due　him。　　Stener　had　made　no　objection。　　It　was　just　possible　that　he　was　too　mentally　disturbed　at　the　time　to　pay　close　attention。　　After　that；　to　his；　Cowperwood's；　surprise；　unexpected　pressure　on　great　financial　houses　from　unexpected　directions　had　caused　them　to　be　not　willingly　but　unfortunately　severe　with　him。　　This　pressure；　coming　collectively　the　next　day；　had　compelled　him　to　close　his　doors；　though　he　had　not　really　expected　to　up　to　the　last　moment。　　His　call　for　the　sixty…thousand…dollar　check　at　the　time　had　been　purely　fortuitous。　He　needed　the　money；　of　course；　but　it　was　due　him；　and　his　clerks　were　all　very　busy。　　He　merely　asked　for　and　took　it　personally　to　save　time。　　Stener　knew　if　it　had　been　refused　him　he　would　have　brought　suit。　　The　matter　of　depositing　city　loan　certificates　in　the　sinking…fund；　when　purchased　for　the　city；　was　something　to　which　he　never　gave　any　personal　attention　whatsoever。　　His　bookkeeper；　Mr。　Stapley；　attended　to　all　that。　　He　did　not　know；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　that　they　had　not　been　deposited。　　（This　was　a　barefaced　lie。　　He　did　know。）　　As　for　the　check　being　turned　over　to　the　Girard　National　Bank；　that　was　fortuitous。　　It　might　just　as　well　have　been　turned　over　to　some　other　bank　if　the　conditions　had　been　different。

Thus　on　and　on　he　went；　answering　all　of　Steger's　and　Shannon's　searching　questions　with　the　most　engaging　frankness；　and　you　could　have　sworn　from　the　solemnity　with　which　he　took　it　all　the　serious　business　attentionthat　he　was　the　soul　of　so…called　commercial　honor。　　And　to　say　truly；　he　did　believe　in　the　justice　as　well　as　the　necessity　and　the　importance　of　all　that　he　had　done　and　now　described。　　He　wanted　the　jury　to　see　it　as　he　saw　itput　itself　in　his　place　and　sympathize　with　him。

He　was　through　finally；　and　the　effect　on　the　jury　of　his　testimony　and　his　personality　was　peculiar。　　Philip　Moultrie；　juror　No。　1；　decided　that　Cowperwood　was　lying。　　He　could　not　see　how　it　was　possible　that　he　could　not　know　the　day　before　that　he　was　going　to　fail。　　He　must　have　known；　he　thought。　　Anyhow；　the　whole　series　of　transactions　between　him　and　Stener　seemed　deserving　of　some　punishment；　and　all　during　this　testimony　he　was　thinking　how；　when　he　got　in　the　jury…room；　he　would　vote　guilty。　　He　even　thought　of　some　of　the　arguments　he　would　use　to　convince　the　others　that　Cowperwood　was　guilty。　　Juror　No。　2；　on　the　contrary；　Simon　Glassberg；　a　clothier；　thought　he　understood　how　it　all　came　about；　and　decided　to　vote　for　acquittal。　　He　did　not　think　Cowperwood　was　innocent；　but　he　did　not　think　he　deserved　to　be　punished。　Juror　No。　3；　Fletcher　Norton；　an　architect；　thought　Cowperwood　was　guilty；　but　at　the　same　time　that　he　was　too　talented　to　be　sent　to　prison。　　Juror　No。　4；　Charles　Hillegan；　an　Irishman；　a　contractor；　and　a　somewhat　religious…minded　person；　thought　Cowperwood　was　guilty　and　ought　to　be　punished。　　Juror　No。　5；　Philip　Lukash；　a　coal　merchant；　thought　he　was　guilty。　　Juror　No。　6；　Benjamin　Fraser；　a　mining　expert；　thought　he　was　probably　guilty；　but　he　could　not　be　sure。　　Uncertain　what　he　would　do；　juror　No。　7；　J。　J。　Bridges；　a　broker　in　Third　Street；　small；　practical；　narrow；　thought　Cowperwood　was　shrewd　and　guilty　and　deserved　to　be　punished。　　He　would　vote　for　his　punishment。　　Juror　No。　8；　Guy　E。　Tripp；　general　manager　of　a　small　steamboat　company；　was　uncertain。　　Juror　No。　9；　Joseph　Tisdale；　a　retired　glue　manufacturer；　thought　Cowperwood　was　probably　guilty　as　charged；　but　to　Tisdale　it　was　no　crime。　Cowperwood　was　entitled　to　do　as　he　had　done　under　the　circumstances。　Tisdale　would　vote　for　his　acquittal。　　Juror　No。　10；　Richard　Marsh；　a　young　florist；　was　for　Cowperwood　in　a　sentimental　way。　　He　had；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　no　real　convictions。　　Juror　No。　11；　Richard　Webber；　a　grocer；　small　financially；　but　heavy　physically；　was　for　Cowperwood's　conviction。　　He　thought　him　guilty。　　Juror　No。　12；　Washington　B。　Thomas；　a　wholesale　flour　merchant；　thought　Cowperwood　was　guilty；　but　believed　in　a　recommendation　to　mercy　after　pronouncing　him　so。　　Men　ought　to　be　reformed；　was　his　slogan。

So　they　stood；　and　so　Cowperwood　left　them；　wondering　whether　any　of　his　testimony　had　had　a　favorable　effect。





Chapter　XLIII




Since　it　is　the　privilege　of　the　lawyer　for　the　defense　to　address　the　jury　first；　Steger　bowed　politely　to　his　colleague　and　came　forward。　　Putting　his　hands　on　the　jury…box　rail；　he　began　in　a　very　quiet；　modest；　but　impressive　way：

　　〃Gentlemen　of　the　jury；　my　client；　Mr。　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood；　　　a　well…known　banker　and　financier　of　this　city；　doing　business　in　　　Third　Street；　is　charged　by　the　State　of　Pennsylvania；　represented　　　by　the　district　attorney　of　this　district；　with　fraudulently　　　transferring　from　the　treasury　of　the　city　of　Philadelphia　to　his　　　own　purse　the　sum　of　sixty　thousand　dollars；　in　the　form　of　a　check　　　made　out　to　his　order；　dated　October　9；　1871；　and　by　him　received　　　from　one　Albert　Stires；　the　private　secretary　and　head　bookkeeper　　　of　the　treasurer　of　this　city；　at　the　time　in　question。　　Now；　　　gentlemen；　what　are　the　facts　in　this　connection？　You　have　heard　　　the　various　witnesses　and　know　the　general　outlines　of　the　story。　　　Take　the　testimony　of　George　W。　Stener；　to　begin　with。　　He　tells　　　you　that　sometime　back　in　the　year　1866　he　was　greatly　in　need　of　　　some　one；　some　banker　or　broker；　who　would　tell　him　how　to　bring　　　city　loan；　which　was　selling　very　low　at　the　time；　to　parwho　　　would　not　only　tell　him　this；　but　proceed　to　demonstrate　that　his　　　knowledge　was　accurate　by　doing　it。　　Mr。　Stener　was　an　　　inexperienced　man　at　the　time　in　the　matter　of　finance。　　Mr。　　　Cowperwood　was　an　active　young　man　with　an　enviable　record　as　a　　　broker　and　a　trader　on　'change。　　He　proceeded　to　demonstrate　to　　　Mr。　Stener　not　only　in　theory；　but　in　fact；　how　this　thing　of　　　bringing　city　loan　to　par　could　be　done。　　He　made　an　arrangement　　　at　that　time　with　Mr。　Stener；　the　details　of　which　you　have　　　heard　from　Mr。　Stener　himself；　the　result　of　which　was　that　a　　　large　amount　of　city　loan　was　turned　over　to　Mr。　Cowperwood　by　　　Mr。　Stener　for　sale；　and　by　adroit　manipulationmethods　of　　　buying　and　selling　which　need　not　be　gone　into　here；　but　which　　　are　perfectly　sane　and　legitimate　in　the　world　in　which　Mr。　　　Cowperwood　operated；　did　bring　that　loan　to　par；　and　kept　it　　　there　year　after　year　as　you　have　all　heard　here　testified　to。

　　〃Now　what　is　the　bone　of　contention　here；　gentlemen；　the　　　significant　fact　which　brings　Mr。　Stener　into　this　court　at　　　this　time　charging　his　old…time　agent　and　broker　with　larceny　　　and　embezzlement；　and　alleging　that　he　has　tran