American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-06-09
FROM the Knickerbocker
A HEARTLESS PROSECUTOR.

[From the Knickerbocker
A HEARTLESS PROSECUTOR.
The following affecting sketch comes to us
in the handwriting OF a correspondent in BoS-
ton, to whose pen our readers have been in
debted for many pleasant communication
| We call upon our friend for the name Of the
prosecutor in the case referred to. We desire
/ to assist in handing it down to perpetual infl-
my: "Ihere are scenes occurring almost daily
in our Police Court that are well worthy Of
more than passing record if but for tho
| ghmpseS they give us of poor humanity under
some gifts more melancholy phases. A week
or two since, J happened to be present when
an Irish woman was brought before one of our
! police justices on 4 charge Of stealing. She was
! Young, had pleasing and rather hanCsCme
countenance, was clad very tdly, and alto
gcther looked like one who had seen better
days, and still in poverty preserved some ofthe
| pride of that more happy period. III her arms
she held little boy OF some three or four years,
with a protuson Of light curly hair clustering
about his temples but whose pale check and
sunken and lustrous- eyes told too plainly that
Disease and pinching Want had even thus
early, marked him for their own. The mother
was charged with stealing bread from the door
of grocer. The complainant, a hard-tcatur-
ed, shrewd -looking man, with a long nose and
sharp, restless eye, was called to the stand
| lie told ght-forward, circumstantial sto-
ry, the substance Of which was, that his baker
was in the habit Of leaving bread ior him at
the shop-door before it was opened in the NOR
ming. For several days past he had missed
part of 1t; sometimes whole roll, sometimes
more, and once only pat ola roll. In order to
| put stop to these depredatons Oh his proper
| ty, he one morning lay in wait for the trespas-
ser; when, about daylight, he saw the prisoner
come out of her miserable underground abode,
leading her sickly boy by the hand Pressing
, by where the witness vas concealed, she stop
ped at his door, took up a roll, and 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
Immediately to the watch-house; taking care,
! in the mean time, to snatch from the half fam
ished boy the moiety Of the loaf he was so ca
gerly devouring. The witness here produced
the piece of bread, and pointed to the marks of
the chlld's teeth, in part corroboration of his
testimony. After hearing the story, the Judge
turned to the woman and asked her if she had
any thing to say in denial of the truth of the
charge. Nothing, nothing, your honor re-
piled the poor woman, laying her face on her
boys head, and stra;nng him to her bosom,
while her body swayed to and fro in the agony
of grief j am guilty. guilty! But it was not
for meself took it. All, Sir! Pm poor lone
woman, and work hard when | can get work.
But for the last ten days have had nothing to
do, and my money was all gone; and since yes
terday morning we Lad Mt had morsel to eat
| am used to it mcself but could MI hear lit
tie Dennis cry for bread and not give it to him.
Thu In1rn oviInptl,, 70 h.,
mans distress, and. turning to the complainant
asked him if, under the circumstances, he
should persist in the prosecution. it, said he,
you will withdraw your complaint, it will be
performing an act oi mercy which should be
very glad TO second Vain appeal Though
the eye Of every men in court was fixed upon
the prosecutor with looks that pleaded for his
victim, no emotion stirred the rcpose of his
hard and selfish features. He kept no account
with Mercy. The right of property had been
violated, in his eyes the most sacred of human
rights, and he claimed the penalty of the law.
This is cruel case, said the Judge; 'and real
ly, feel 10th to punish this poor woman for
an act so venlaI, 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 i'm
pairing in the least degree whatever title he
may have to the love and respect of his fellow
men, still my duty liz the case is imperative; the
law allows me no discretion. would it were
otherwise. Put her down for one month in the
House of Correction, MIR. Clerk 'Oh, Den
nis' exclaimed the poor woman, in paroxys.n
of grief, as she strained her boy still closer TO
her bosom, and bathed him with tears; what III
you do noW, my poor child, when you've no
mother to look after you, and keep you from
harms way!' DO MT grieve yourself about
that, Mrs. McGlnnis,' said one of her own
country-women, who had hitherto stood i'll the
back ground, but now came forward, and took
the prisoner by the hand; do Mt grieve for the
likes OF that, Ma'am; III take care of your boy;
and while I've petafy in the pot, he shall have
his mouthiul.' God bless YOU exclaimed the
mother, wringng the woman's hand may the
Holy Virgin smile on you!' Come, step along,
Ma'am' said the officer, as he put the mitti-
mus in his pocket; do MT stand growing here;
the cart is waiting for you The woman slow
ly and mechanically obeyed, followed by little
Dennis, with one 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
tears to the care of his kind protector; the mo-
Their went slowly and droopngy down the
steps, without again lifting her head, or look
ing back upon her halfweeping, half-wonder-
ing boy; and in moment more she was seated
in the covered hearse like wagon that was to
carry her across the bridge of signs to the fe-
Ions home.'
HIsToRIcAL SOCIETY,". At the June meeting
OF the N. Y. Historical Society, held at the
University on the Tuesday evening, letter
| was read from John Quincy Adams i'm behalf