ative. Leading lawyers refused the service. One
morning Ford came to Macdonald's house before he was up. After much
entreaty he persuaded Macdonald to undertake the defence. There could
be practically no defence, however, and Von Shoultz, Gold, and nine
others were condemned and hanged. Von Shoultz's career had been
chequered. He was born in Cracow. His father, a major in a Cracow
regiment, was killed in action while fighting for the cause of an
independent Poland, and on the field of battle his son was selected by
the corps to fill his father's place. He afterwards drifted about
Europe until he reached Florence, where he taught music for a while.
There he married an English girl, daughter of an Indian officer,
General Mackenzie. Von Shoultz subsequently crossed to America,
settled in Virginia, took out a patent for crystallizing salt, and
acquired some property. The course of business took him to Salina,
N.Y., not far from the Canadian boundary, where he heard of the
rebellion going on in Canada. He not unnaturally {11} associated the
cause of the rebels with that of his Polish brethren warring against
oppression. He had been told that the Canadians were serfs, fighting
for liberty. Fired with zeal for such a cause, he crossed the frontier
with a company and was captured. He was only second in command, the
nominal chief being a Yankee named Abbey, who tried to run away, and
who, Von Shoultz declared to Macdonald, was a coward.

Von Shoultz left to Macdonald a hundred dollars in his will. 'I wish
my executors to give Mr John A. Macdonald $100 for his kindness to me.'
This was in the original draft, but Macdonald left it out when reading
over the will for his signature. Von Shoultz observed the omission,
and said, 'You have left that out.' Macdonald replied yes, that he
would not take it. 'Well,' replied Von Shoultz, 'if it cannot be done
one way, it can another.' So he wrote with his own hand a letter of
instructions to his executors to pay this money over, but Macdonald
refused to accept it.

It has been generally stated that it was the 'eloquent appeal' on
behalf of this unfortunate man which established Macdonald's reputation
at the bar, but this is quite a mistake. {12} Macdonald never made any
speech in defence of Von Shoultz, for two very good reasons. First,
the Pole pleaded guilty at the outset; and, secondly, the trial was by
court-martial, on which occasions, in those days, counsel were n