however, that he should be somewhat of a villain.
Here also they exhibited much sagacity in the selection. It now only
remained to slip his neck into the noose that was in preparation for
themselves. All the instrumentalities being prepared to their liking,
they immediately set the infernal machinery in active operation.

The first thing to be done was to change the direction of public opinion
as to the real perpetrator. It must be called off from the persons who
were now so hotly pursued, and put upon a different scent. The agents
were at hand--The Secret Band of Brothers. These "dogs of war" were let
loose, and simultaneously the whole pack set up their hideous yell after
the poor fellow previously mentioned. Many of them being merchants and
holding a respectable relation to society, and most of them being
connected with the different honourable professions, their fell purpose
was the more easily accomplished. A continual excitement was thus kept
up, by breathing forth calumny and denunciation against one who,
however guilty of other things, was innocent of the thing laid to his
charge. At the same time, the ears of the principal bank-officers were
filled with words of extenuation and sympathy toward the two brothers.
Their former high respectability was adduced. That they were guilty was
not denied, but they had been misled and seduced. Intimations were given
that the name of the real villain who had caused their ruin would be
given, provided they would ease off in their prosecution already in
progress. And then it would be such a glorious thing to secure the
prime-mover.

By these fair and seemingly sincere pretensions, they soon kindled
relentings in the hearts of the prosecutors. How could it be otherwise?
for "they were all honourable men." Several of the individuals who
assisted in maturing the plan were men of commanding influence, in the
very town where I was bred. I had abundant opportunities to know them. A
proposition was finally made through them by the instructions of the
officers, that, as the brothers knew their guilt was fully established,
it would have a tendency to mitigate their sentence, if they would
expose the head man, by whose knavery many extensive property-holders
were threatened with total bankruptcy. This was the precise position at
which the secret band of brothers had been aiming. The next step was to
secure, if possible, the younger brother as "state's evidence" against
the appointed vi