Richmond Enquirer

Columbus, (O.) May 2.
RETRIBUTION.

Justice, though sometimes slow in its progress, is always unerring in its results. The wretch, whose craft and chicanery for a while counterpoises the sacred scale, will ultimately be divested of the sable shroud of subtlety, and stand, in his native deformity before an honest public.

The above remark is elucidated by a decision in the Court of Common Pleas of this county on Tuesday last.

In January, 1813, Lieut. William Tisdale, of the Petersburg volunteers, (a corps proverbial for their patriotism and bravery) then at Franklinton, lost his pocket book in a deep snow, near the Court-House.—Some three or four months afterwards, a certain John Sells, of Washington township, in this county, cautiously revealed to some of his connections and others, that he had found a pocket-book containing about five hundred dollars in paper and gold, nearly the amount, and the same description of money, lost by Mr. Tisdale.—The circumstance was whispered from one to another, until it became notorious. In the succeeding August, Mr. Sells, in the plenitude of his honesty, advertised the Pocket-Book in a public paper, without even a common description. After the siege of Fort Meigs, Mr. Tisdale called on Mr. Sells for his property. Mr. Sells replied, that if the Lieut. could describe the string on the Pocket Book, then in his possession, he would surrender it. This was impossible. Mr. Tisdale told him his Pocket Book never had a string; it was otherwise fastened, which was amply proved by Mr. Calvert Steuart, who travelled to this country with Mr. Tisdale.—Prosecution was commenced. The delays of law naturally intervened, till, at our present court a thorough investigation was had - Almost every attorney at the bar, incensed at the knavish conduct of Sells, volunteered in behalf of the absent unfortunate, and after patiently hearing a detail of strong circumstantial testimony, the jury, as honest, intelligent and independent as ever this county witnessed, brought in a most righteous verdict of FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS for the plaintiff.

The very able and respectable counsel for defendant, were, we presume, so petrified at the baseness of their client, that they did not utter a word, and could scarcely groan in his defense.

During the examination some of the most respectable characters of the county, were called on, who testified that during the last three or four years they had not heard of the loss of any other pocket book containing money, except the one in question.