The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-05-10
THE CRIMINAL WITNESS.

-" EO""S hdH dccuSeu Z! rOOUlnZ the l
mail. had long conference with my eli !
ent. and he acknowledged to me that on the
night when the mail was robbed, he had been
with party Of dissipated companions over
the Iapham, and that on 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
could not run. My client assured me that
he not only had no hand in robbing the mail.
but that he tried TO dS>uade his companions,
but they would not listen u him. One of
them slipped up behind the carrier and
kn""k"d him from the horse. Then thev
bound and blindtoId, d him. and having tied
him to a tree they took the mail bag, and
made oft TO neighborinc field, where they
overhauled it, finding some five hundred dol
lars in money in various letters. lie went
with them, but in no way did he have any
hard in the crime. Those who did it fled,
and as the carrier had recognized him in the
party, he had been arrested
The mail bag ha,! been found, as we'll as
the letters. These letters from which mon
ey lad been taken. were KEEP, by order of The
officers. and duplicates sent to the various
persons 10 whom they were directed. These
letters had been sent TO me for examination,
and had returned them to the prosecuting
attorney.
] got through with my private prelimina-
ries about room, and as the case would not
come mp before the next day, went into
the Court to see what was going on The
first case which came up was one Of THEFT
and the prisoner was young girl not more
than seventeen wears OF age, Elizabeth Mad
worth. She was very pretty. and bore that
mild. innocent look, which we seldom find
in rulprit. She was pale and frightened
and the moment INV eyes rested upon her.
pitici her. She had been weeping protusc-
". for her bosom was wet, but as she found
so many eyes uron her, she became too much
frightened to weep more.
The complaint against her set forth thai,
she had stolen one hundred dollars from Mr.
Naschv and as the ease went on, found
that Mrs. Na>chy was her mistress. a wealthy
widow. living IN town. The poor Girl de-
clarc'i her Innocence in the most Wild terms.
and called on God to witness that she would
rather die than steal \ huntrc! dollars in
bank notes had been stolen from her mis-
trrss room. anl she was the only one who
had access there.
At this iuncture. while the mistress was
upon the witnesS-stand, young man came
and caught me- bv the arm. He was flu.
looking fellow, and big tears stood in his
ewes.
They tell me you are good LAWYER -
he whispered
II am a LAWYER" answered
"Then-O.-savch her. You can certain
lv DO it, for she is innocent"
''ls she vOnr sister,"
! The youth hesitated and colorcd
: mo, sir" he said. "But but"
Q Here he hesitated again.
Il alas she no counsel :"
Q "None that's good for ANYTHING nobody
g that'll do ANYTHING for her, q. save her. ard
I'll pay Won all I've got can't pay you
much but can raise something"
] reflected for moment. least nv ewes
towards The prisoner. and she was at that no
, ment looking at me. She caua't my eve
and the volume of humtl,.. pravcrtuI cntrca',
;, | read in those large. fearful ortS, lcSol,c,
;. me in a moment. In nv >onl knew tha
the girl was innocent: or at lea>, firmly be-
:. lievcd 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
- Their informed the court that was read,
:, to enter into the case, and was admitted a
. once. The loud murmur Of satisfaction whicl
h ran through the room. quickly told me- wh"r
~ the sympathies of the people were. askc'
i, for a moments cessation, that might speal
~ to nv client. ] went and sat down Nv he
v SIDE, and asked her to state to me candid
/. the whole case. She tod me she had i've
~ with Mrs. Na>ehv nearly two years. and tina
;, during all that time she had never had an
If trouble before, About two weeks ago, sh
a. said. ner mistress lost a hundred dollars
d, "She missed it from the drawer" the gil
nc told me. land she asked me about it. but
knew nothing Of it. The next thing knew
10 Nancy Luther told Mrs. Nascbv that sn
h. saw me take the money from the drawer
rs that she watched. me through the key-hol
no They then went to my trunk. and they fonn
At twenty-five dollars of the missing none
or there. But o, Sir. never took it-som,
h,. body else put that money there
N. then asked her if she suspected any on
= r. 81 don't know she said, "who could ha,
20 ~ done it but Nancy She has never like
NJ me, because she thought was treated bett.
~, than she was. She is the cook, and was ii
~, chamber.maid
H. She pointed Nancy Luther out to me-
rv She was stout, bold faced girl, abou; tw,
~ and-twenty, with low forehead small, gre
,, eyes, a pug nose and thick lips ] caugt
co her glance at once as it rested upon the ia
young prisoner. and the moment detecte
mo the look of hatred which read there, W;
=, convinced that she was the rogue
r so, Sir, can you help me 2" my cher
IL asked in fearful whisper
~ "Nancy Luther, did you saw that girl
name was 2"
=" "Yes. sir"
''' "Is there any other girl of that name /;
bout here 2"
"NO sir"
ye "Then rest easy. Ill try hard to sa,
~, you"
lr. left the court room, and went to the pro
so ecutIng attorney and asked him for The le
he ters had handed to hilD-the ones that ha
. been stolen from the mailbag He CAV
20. them to me, and, having selected one, | r,
n turned the rest, and told him | would Sc
re that he had the one kept before night.
y then returned to the court room and the cas-
! went on.
of Mrs. Naseby resumed her testimony Sh
Is, said she entrusted her room to the prisoner
ng care, and that no one else bad access ther
er but herself. Then she described the mssin
y. money, and closed by telling how she ba
] found twenty-five dollars of It in the prison