n's _attendant_ is
one who rolls bandages and the like. _Follower_, _henchman_, _retainer_
are persons especially devoted to a chief, and generally bound to him by
necessity, fee, or reward. _Partner_ has come to denote almost
exclusively a business connection. In law, an _abettor_ (the general
legal spelling) is always present, either actively or constructively, at
the commission of the crime; an _accessory_ never. An _accomplice_ is
usually a principal; an _accessory_ never. If present, though only to
stand outside and keep watch against surprise, one is an _abettor_, and
not an _accessory_. At common law, an _accessory_ implies a principal,
and can not be convicted until after the conviction of the principal;
the _accomplice_ or _abettor_ can be convicted as a principal.
_Accomplice_ and _abettor_ have nearly the same meaning, but the former
is the popular, the latter more distinctively the legal term. Compare
APPENDAGE; AUXILIARY.

Antonyms:

adversary, chief, foe, leader, principal,
antagonist, commander, hinderer, opponent, rival.
betrayer, enemy, instigator, opposer,

Prepositions:

An accessory _to_ the crime; _before_ or _after_ the fact; the
accessories _of_ a figure _in_ a painting.

* * * * *

ACCIDENT.

Synonyms:

adventure, contingency, happening, misfortune,
calamity, disaster, hazard, mishap,
casualty, fortuity, incident, possibility.
chance, hap, misadventure,

An _accident_ is that which happens without any one's direct intention;
a _chance_ that which happens without any known cause. If the direct
cause of a railroad _accident_ is known, we can not call it a _chance_.
To the theist there is, in strictness, no _chance_, all things being by
divine causation and control; but _chance_ is spoken of where no special
cause is manifest: "By _chance_ there came down a certain priest that
way," _Luke_ x, 31. We can speak of a game of _chance_, but not of a
game of _accident_. An _incident_ is viewed as occurring in the regular
course of things, but subordinate to the main purpose, or aside from the
main design. _Fortune_ is the result of inscrutable controlling forces.
_Fortune_ and _chance_ are nearly equivalent, but _chance_ can be used
of human effort and endeavor as _fortune_ can not be; we say "he has a
_chance_ of success," or "there is one _chance_ in a thousand," where we