Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-07-11
From The RniekerbOeker.
A Heartless Prosecutor.


Boston, to whose pen our readers have been
indebted for many pleasant communion
ton. We call upon him for the name Of
the prosecutor in the case referred to- We
desire to assist in handing il down TO perpet-
usl infamy There are scenes occurring -
most daily in our Police Court that are well
worthy OF more than passing recor". if bu,
for the glimpses they give us cfpcor human
ity under some of IFS more melancholy mia
SEES. A week or two since, l happene., ~
be present when an Irish won,,n ,v.s
brought before one Of our police ;ust;ccs On
charge ofstealing. She was younp. had
pleasing and rather handsome countenance
was clad very tidily, and altogether looked
like one who had seen better DAYS, and still
in her poverty preserved some of the pride
of that more happy period. In her arms she
held little boy of some three or four wears.
with profusion oflight curly hair cluster
ing about his temples, but whose pale check
and sunken and lustrous eyes told too plain
ly that Disease and pinchng Want had.
even thus early, marked them for their own.
The mother was charged with stealing bread
from the door OF a grocer. The complain
ant, hard-featured, shrewd-looking man,
with long nose, and sharp, restless eye,
was called to the stand. He told a straight
forward circumstantial story, the substance
of which was, that his baker was in the hab-
it of leaving bread for him at the shop-door
before it was opened in the morning. For
several days past he had missed part of il;
sometimes a whole roll, sometimes more.
and once only part of a roll In order TO
put stop 10 these depredations on his prop
erty, he one morning lay in wait for the
trespasser when, about daylight he saw the
prisoner come out of her miserable under
ground abode, leading her sickly boy by the
hand. Passing by where the witness was
concealed, she stopped at his door, took up
roll, aud breaking it in two pieces, gave
one TO her boy, and restored the other to its
place. She then turned back, when the
complainant seized, and hurried her imme-
diately 10 the watch house; taking care, i'm
the mean time, to snatch from the half fam
ished boy the moiety of the loaf he was SO
eagerly devouring. The witness here pro-
duced the piece of bread, and pointed to the
marks of the childs teeth, in part corrobor-
alton of his testimony. After hearing the
story, the Judge turned to the woman. and
asked her ifshe had any thing TO say in de-
iiui Va thO hott VI tHt CHdTOc. NOtnlnU.
nothing, your Honor, replied the poor wo-
man, laying her face on her boys head
straInng him to her bosom, while her body
swayed to and fro in the agony of grief Il
am guilty, guilty But it was not for me-
self that took it. Alb, Sir Pm a poor
lone woman, and work hard when can get
work. But Tor the last ten days have had
nothing TO do, and my money was all gone .
and since yesterday morning we had nj had
a morsel TO eat am used to it meself bpt
l eosid MT hear little Dennis cry for bread
and not give it to him 7 The Judge was evil
IDENTIFY touched by the woman's distress
and, turning to the complainant, asked him
u, under the circumstances, he should per-
sist in the prosecution. IT, said he. won
VIII withdraw yonr complaint, it will be per-
forming an act of mercy which should be
very glad to second Vain appeal 80
Though the eye of every man in court was
liked upon the prosecutor with looks thar
pleaded for his victim, no emotion stirred
The repose Of his hard and selfish features
He kept no account with Mercy. The riubt
Of property had been violated. in his eves
the most sacred ofhuman rights and he
claimed the penalty of the law. This ;s
cruel case said the Judge, and really T
ieel extremely loath TO punish this poor wo-
man Tor an act SO venial, crime though it be
IN the eye of the law. But although this
plaintiff might have pursued very different
course, without doing any injury to The
cause OF justice, or imparing in the least
degree whatever title he may have 10 the
love and respect of his fellow men. still mn
duty in the case is imperative; the law al
lows me no discretion. would il were
otherwise. Put her down for month in
The House of Correction, Mr.. Clerk oh
Dennis ? exclaimed The poor woman in
paroxysm of grief, as she strained her how
still closer to her bosom, and bathed him
with tears: 'whatll you do noac. INV moor
child, when yon have no mother to look ac
Ter you, and keep you from harms way?'
Don't grieve yourself about that, Mrs
McGinnis, said one Of her own country-wo-
men, who had hitherto stood in the back
ground, but came forward, and took the
prisoner by the hand; don't grieye for the
likes of that, Ma'am. RI take care of your
boy; and while I've petaty in The not he
shall have his mouth FULL God bless voup
exclaimed the mother, wringing the woman's
hand may the Holy Virgin smile on youp
Come, step along, Ma'am. said the officer
as he put the mitiimus in his pocket; don't
stand growing here; the cart is waiting for
YOU The woman slowly and mechanical
y obeyed, followed by little Dennis. with
Dne hand clasped in that Of his new friend,
and the other pulling at the skirts of his
mothers dress. Arrived at the outer door.
The little fellow was resigned with many
ears to the care of his kind protector the