The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1829-12-24


| her with the consolation Of friendship aud
! feligion--they made cheerful the grated
cell and gloomy walls, and with more than
sis,erly Kindness, endeavored to raise up
this crushed flower and bid it blossom a
new. Nor were they alone in their an
gelic acts--others piticd, admired, and as
sisted the i'll fated one and her afflicted CO.
partners in grief, and the tide Of feeling
ran at first gently and then strong in favor
OF this stranger TO our city, and her afiec-
tionate school master who had comiorted
her in her lonely prison. AT length, the
trial day came, when her companions, to-
gether with the first one who had taken an
interest in her cause, accompanied her in
to Court--the Court humanely suffered her
TO sit with them, and not in the criminal
bar.--Every indulgence was allowed by
the Judge and County Attorney--the in.
dictment was read to the Jury, and Emery
was introduced on the part of the Govern
ment as wtness--so far she had remain
ed collected and between her devoted
! friends; the witness had not proceeded far
| in his statement, before related, and was go.
| ing on to slate that the defendant denied
| they were in her possession, when spasm-
odic affection came over the defendant, G,
very feature and limb was distorted as if
bolt Of heaven had stricten her--again was
she carried from the Court in state seem.
ingly Of senseless, yet indiscribable agony.
Here her Counsel besought Of the Court
that the trial might proceed, notwithstand.
ing the absence ofthe prisoner--he should
waive all eptions--every technical iilc-
galty--he implored a verdict, be it on
whatsoever side il might be, before she
was called to answer to higher tribunal
| for the deeds done in the body. The eX.
cltement of feeling throughout the specta.
tors was great. The trial went on and the
witness Mr. Emery then stated that he,
at the time Of the taking of the gloves, be-
lieved that the prisoner intended to steal
them, as also related the facts relative to
his keeping the gloves takep, and his Civ
! ing up the mits to the officer under the sus-
picion that they were stolen, because she
said she gave 2s Sd. when the mark on
them was 3s Cd. The Government here
closed. The defendants witnesses were
then sworn--they consisted of the two
! Misses -, Benjamin Smith, Jotham
Clark, DIR. Flint, John Holmes, &c.
The last witness came in Immediately
after the other witnesses had been exam
ined, made his way toward the stand,
stranger to the city, whose vessel had just
arrived at the wharf, and who had not
twenty minutes before his appearance,
| known of the accusation against the de-
fepdant. He knew her parents and her.
J self, the latter from her infancy, and on his
arrival and knowledge of the trial, had
FASTENED to the Court House 10 testlfy,un.
known to her Counsel or friends. From
oil the following facts were abundantly
proved--that tho defendant was a daugh.
ter of respectable nnd formerly aflluent pa
| rents, in the state of---,and had receIv-
ed the first education (Which was not en-.
tirey completed at the failure of her faith
er,) which any of the daughters of that
country had enjoyed. On learning his
misfortune she FASTENED home, and TO pre-
vent being a burthcn to him in his calami-
| ty, she came TO this City to learn the art
of millinery: not being successful in OBJ.
tanning Immediately situation, sho went
to service in the fsmily Of Mr.. Benjamin
Smith-the testimony Of Mr.. Smith was
truly interesting as to her virtue, inteli.
! gence, honesty. education and purity; in
reply to question from her Counsel,
SHOULD this Jury either convict or acquit
the prisoner, would you in either case trust
her as you have done ?" his reply was,
while the tear stood in his eye, "most as.
suredly, with untold gold" He expressed
his deepest conviction that she was not cap
able of doing or had not done any act, in
tcntionaly dishonest. The reason why
she had left him was, that her health was
t, f,,lG ha I,f ,,,h h,,1,
devolved upon her, though to the time
when she went to Mr.. Clark's, she always
discharged them with tho utmost fidelity
and cheerfulness, according to the best Of
her ability. Mr.. Clark testified as to her
conduct from the time of her leaving Mr.
Smith until the 10Th of November, when
she was arrested, according TO the indict.
ment j and in this he was most full and un-
equivocal, and that she had charge Of the
most valuable things in his house, such as
plate, money, &c, and that she was 10 him
almost invaluable from her carelulness
honesty ability and integrty--thath he part
ed from her with the greatest reluctance /;
and that the reason of her going was the
reception of letter from her parents wish
ing her return. On the afternoon Of the
10Th, he sent her things on board OF the
packet, and she went out to purchase some
articles to carry home to her native place
Not hearing from her again, though she
promised to return previous to sailing if
she could, he concluded that the packet
could not wait,and that she had gone home
and was not undeceived until afterwards.
Mr. Smith and Mr. Clark remarked that at
times she was absent in mind, frequently
made mistakes in the dischage of some
little errand or duty,which might arise from
not being accustomed to the station assign.