Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1856-05-22

The Criminal Witness,
In the spring of '48, was called to jackson
to attend court having been engaged to defend
a young man accused of robbing the mail.
had long conference with my client, and he
acknowledged to me that on the night when
the mail was robbed, he had been with party
of dissipated companions over to Topham, and
that on returning they met the mail carrier on
horseback coming from Jackson Some of the
companions were very drunk, and they proposed
10 stop the carrier, and overhaul his bag. The
roads were very muddy at the time, aud the
coach could not run. My client assurcdmc
that he not ouly had no hand in robbing the
mail, but that had tried to dissuade his COM
panions. But they would not listen to him.
One Of them slipped up behind the carrier and
knocked him from the horse Then they bound
and blindfolded him, and having tied him to
tree, they took the mail bag and made off to
ncighboring field, where they ovcrhaucd it,
finding some five hundred dollars IN money in
various letters. lie went with them, but in no
way did he have any hand in the crime. Those
who did it fed, and as the carrier had rccogui-
xed him in the party, he had been arrested
The mail bag had been found, as well as the
letters. These letters from which money had
been taken, were kept by order of the officers,
and duplicates sent to the various persons, to
whom they were directed These letters had
been given to me for examination, and had
returned them to the prosecuting attorney
got through with my private prcliminaries
abOut noon, and as the case would not come
up before the next day, went into the court
to see what was going on The first ease which
came up was one OF theft, and the prisoner was
young girl not more than seventeen years of
age, Elizabeth Madworth She was very pref
~. and bore that mild, innocent look, which we
seldom find in n culIrit She was pale and
frightened and the moment my eyes rested up
on her. ] pitied her. She had been weeping
profuscly, for her bosom was wet, but as she
found SO many eyes upon her, she became too
much frightened to weep more.
The complaint against her set forth that she
had stolen one hundred dollars from Mrs. Nase-
by and rs the case went on found that Mrs.
Naseby was her mistress, a wealthy widow, liv-
ing in town. The poor girl declared her inno-
cclce In the most wild terms, and called on God
to witness that she would rather die than steal.
But circumstances were hard against her. A
hundred dollars in bank-notes had been stolen
from her mistress room, and she was the only
one who had access there.
At this juncture, while the witness was upon
the witness-stand,a young man came and caught
me by the arm. lie was u ine-looking fellow,
aud big tears stood in his eyes.
They tell me you arc good lawyer ?" he
whispered.
| am a lawyer" answered.
Then-O save her f! You can certain
ly do II, for she is Innocent"
~ us she your sister
The youth hcsitatcd and colored
--s" No, SIR" he said. But--but"
Here he hcsitated again.
sa." Has she no counsel 7" | asked.
os. None that's good for anything--nobody
" that'll do anything for her, o, save her, aud
I'LL pay You oil I've got. can't pay you
much, but can raise something"
/ reflected for a moment | cast nv ewes
towards the prisoner and she was at that mo-
ment looking ut me. She caught my eye and
the humble, prayerful entreaty, read in those
large, fearful orbs, resolved me in a moment
In my soul knew the girl was innocent or at
y, least, firmly believed so--and perhaps could
help her. arose and went to the girl, and
asked her If she wished me to defend her. She
said yes. Then l informed the court that I
was ready to enter into the case, and was ad-
United ut once. The loud mur,nur of satisfac-
ton which ran through the room, quickly told
me where the sympathies Of the people were.
asked for moments cessation, that /
might speak to my client. ] went and sat down
by her side, and asked her to state to me can
: didly the whole case She told me she had
lived with Mrs Naseby nearly two years, and
that during ell that time she never had any
y trouble before. About two weeks ago, she
said, her mistress lost hundred dollars.
She missed II fssm drawer" the girl told
me, and she asked me about it, but I knew
:, nothing Of il. The next thing knew, Nancy
Y Luther told Mrs. Naseby that she saw me take
!, the money from the draw--that she watched
me through the key-hole. They then went "a
my trunk, and found twenty-five dollars Of the
! nissng money there. But o, sir, never took
q somebody else put that money there r.
then asked her II she suspected any one.
" don't know" she said, !" who could have
doncit bat Nancy. She has never liked me, be.
! esnsc she thought Twas treated better than she