When the present State House of Illinois, was being built--and it's a passable edifice, baring it is too low in the ground, and the _summer house_ up on its top is too low to catch the cool breezes--it chanced that among the workmen engaged upon it was a New Yorker named Johnson. This man had a sovereign contempt for most of the shinplasters then circulating in Illinois; nor was he much amiss in this, for if it was now in existence, it would be exchangable at par with Jeff Davis' shinplasters. But through the instrumentality of Col. Thornton's negotiations in New York with McAlister of Stebbins, (a claim, by the way, that has never been settled but came near _settling_ the State _a la_ Mattoon,) a large amount of the bills of the New York _Metropolitan Bank_ were put into circulation about Springfield. For this currency Johnson conceived so great a partiality that the passion of avarice soon turned it into a mania. He bought all these notes his means permitted, and stored them away about his person with miserly care. One Sunday Johnson was invited to ride out to the Cut off by a man (Smith for the nonce) and accepted. They did'nt stop at the Cut-off, but went direct to Sangamon River. Here, they were overheard quarrelling. Smith came home without Johnson, who was soon missed, and as he was known to have gone away with Smith, that individual was soon put in that log building still standing (it did in '62) back of Carrigan's Hotel, and which has since served as a hen house etc. (Why don't Butler take a picture of it, to show the "rising generation" what a small house used to hold all the _known or taken_ rogues of old Sangamon?) The examination of Smith, did not take place until the river bank had been examined. There were signs of a struggle on the bank, and to the water's edge, which gave force to the evidence of the man who heard them in dispute, and all felt convinced that Johnson had been murdered. Although a careful examination and dredging of the river failed to produce the body, Smith was committed for trial. Uncle Abe was engaged as counsel for Johnson, but had little hopes of being of any earthly aid to him. At last the day of trial came, and the prisoner plead "not guilty." I think it was Melborn who was the prosecuting Attorney; before the prosecution had opened the case Uncle Abe rose and said: "May it please the Court, I have a motion to make before the prosecution opens; and as it may save the Court some unnecessary labor, I hope it will be entertained. _I move that the indictment be quashed and the prisoner discharged!_" The astonishment of the crowded Court room was immense, shared alike by Judge, bar and spectators. As soon as the Judge recovered his equanimity he asked: "Upon what grounds is so extraordinary a motion made?" "Why the man Johnson, was not murdered at all, and I have the pleasure of introducing _him to the presence of the Court_."