Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-06-18
DAILY VIRGINIAN.
THE CRIMINAL wIrNHss

mnn accused of rohbinp the mail had n long con-
ference with my client, aud he acknowledged TO me
that on the night when the mail was robbed ne had
been with party of dssipated companions over To
Tophem and that returning they met the mail
carrier on horseback coming from Jackson. Some OF
his companions were very drunk, and they proposed
to stop the carrier and overhaul his bag The roads
were very muddy at the time, and the coach conld
not run Ny client assured me that hc not only had
no hand in robbing the mail, but thnt he tried to
dssuade his companions But they would not listen
10 him. One of them slipped up behind the carrier
and knocked him from his horse Then they bound
and blindfoded him and having tied him to n tree
they took the mail bag, aud made OF toa ncighbor-
Ing field, whore they overhaucd u, finding some hve
huedred dollars In money in various letters lie went
with them but no way did he have any hand In tho
crime Those who did II fled, and as the carrier re-
cognsed him In the party, he had been arrested
The mail bag had been found Ms well MS the letters
Those letters from which money had been taken,
kept, by order of tho officers, and duplicates
sent to the various persons to whom dree-
ted. The letters had been given TO mo for examlnn-
ton and ad.returncd them to the prosecuting at-
torney.
got through with my private prclimnarics about
noon, and M the would not come up before the
next day. went into court to what was going on.
The frat which came up was one OF THEFT, ana
the prisoner young girl, not more than seven
teen years of age Elizabeth Mndworth She was
very pretty and bore that mild innocent look, which
we seldom find In n culprit She was pale and
frightened and the moment my eyes rested upon
her, ptied her She had been weeping profnsely,
for her bosom wet but NJ she found 30 many
eyes upon her sho became too much frightened to
weep more.
stolen one hundred dollars from Mrs. Nascby, and as
the case went on found that Mrs. Naseby was her
mistress wealthy widow, living In town. The poor
girl declared her innocence In the most wild terms,
and called on God to witness that she would rather
die than steal But circumstances were hard against
her hundred dollars In bank notes had been stol-
en- from her mstresss room,and she was the only one
who had access there.
At this juncture, while the mistress was upon the
wtness-stand, n young man came and caught mo by
the arm lie was fine looking fellow, and big tears
stood In ha eyes
They tell me you are u good lawyer" he whisper
ed,
II nm n lawyer answered.
"Then--O Save hcrl You can certainly do II, for
she is innocent"
"ls she your sistcr2'
"No, sir he said. "But-but--"
Here he hesitatcd again.
elias she no counscl7' asked
"None that's good for anything-nobody thatll do
anything for her Q, save her, and III pay you all
I've got can't pay you much but can raise some
thing
reflected for moment, cast my eyes towards
the prisoner, and she NJ that moment looking NJ
me. She caught my eye aud the volume of humble,
prayernl cnrea,y read In those large, fearful orbs,
resolved me In moment In my soul knew that
the girl wns innoccnt at least firmly believed 80
and perhaps could help her | arose and went to
the g'rl ana asked her " sne wlsnca NV W "I'e"1
her She said yes. Then informed the court that
was ready to enter the case ana was ha''ean' once
The loud nnrmnr OF satis'"cuoh wnich ran .",o"en
the room quickly told me where the syinpathics oi
the peoyle were ,.,,,
| asked for n moment n cessation, that might speak
to my client. went and sat down by her side, and
askeu her 10 s.''e 10 me e"nu'a'y no WIZ cs
one loid me she hhn never M" "ny "ouo'e "
About TWO weeks ago, she sara, her m'sueSs ios'
hundred doiiars ,.,,
"she missed IL rom the urawer, hc B''' |,u '"e,
and she asked me ABOUT II, put knew "o'n,hs VI
H. The next thlng knew, Nancy bu'her toio ",S'
saseby that she saw me take the money rom 'no
arhwer-'hat she w"tcheo me througn .ne NY .''
men tney went 10 my uuhh, anu '"'y 'ou'" Nv Nv.
five dollars of the missing money there But y,
sir, never took it--somebody else put that money
therci :.
y doht Know, she saih, VINO co"'" n"'o uo"' -
but Nancy She has never liked me, because sho
thought was treated Detter 'hh she o"' 10 viz
cook, and was the chambermaid."
She pointed Nancy Luther out 10 me. one was u
stout, Dola-iaeed gar. ABOUT .wo "nu two"'y, WI" nI.a
low forehead, small gray eyes, pug nose ana 'hick
lips. caught her glance at once as 1t rested upon
the fair young prisoner, ana the momentI detec,eu
the look OF hatred which read thcre, was cohV'h-
ced that she was the rogue
"ohl slr, can you hep 'e' my e"e"' A'" ~
fearful whisper. a,
Nancy Luther, did you say that giriS name waS''
Yes sir" III
sis there any other girl OF thht name ABOUT th's
placer
mo sir
"Thcn rest easy. III try hard TO save YOU
left the court room, and went 10 the prosecuuhg
attorney and asked him for the letters had hanoed
himthe ones that had been stolen from the mail Dag
lie gave them TO meand having sciected one return
cd the rest and told him that wouid see 'h' ne naa
the one kept before night then returned 10 inc