Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1856-05-07
She said she would willingly 90 q RI


and handed me four receipts, which |
took and examined. They were all
signed in q strange, struggling hand,
by the witness.
""Now, Nancy Luther y said I, turn
ing to the witness, and speaking in a
quick startling tone, Hat the same time
looking her sternly in the eye, "please
tell the court and the Jury, and tell
me, Too, where you got the seventy
five dollars you sent lin letter to
your sister in SomerslY y.
The witness started as though a
volcano had burst at. her feet. ! She
turned pale as death, and every limb
shook violently. / waited until the
people could have an opportunity to
see her emotions, and then repeated
the question. [|@&. ..'5 .
81 -never-sent- any" she faint
ly gasped. ,
aYou did" ! thund cred, for I was
excited now. f.. 81, >'-..'.,' +I
T-I-didn't," she family uttered
grasping the rail by her side for sup
port. -. bel. III = ~
MAY it please your honor, and
gentlemen Of the jury" l said, as
soon as I had looked the witness ont
Of countenance, ~ came here to de-
fend youth who has been arrested
for helping to rob the mail, and in
the course ofmy preliminary exami-
nations, | had access to the letters
which had beenItorn open and rifed
ofmoney.2 When I entered upon this
case and heard the name Of this wit
ness pronounced, I went out and<got
this letter which Inow hold, for / re-
membered TO have seen one bearing
the signature of Nancy Luther. This
letter was taken from the mail bag,
and it contained seventy-five dollars,
and by looking at the post-mark, Won
will perceive that it. was mailed the
very next day after the hundred dol
lars. were taken from Mrs. Naseby's
drawer will read it to-you, if you
please y lI@ :-ff 5@ - - ,
The court nodded assent, and read
the following, which was without
date save that made by the post-mas-
ter upon the outside. give it here
verbatim: i :
SISTER DoRcAs: / cend yu heer
sevcntc-fy dolers, wieh i want yu to
kepe for me til j cum hum. cant
kepe it heer coz line afrade it vii git
stole don't speke VIM word to liven
sole bout this coz don't want nobodi
til no hav got emmy mony ,yu wunt
now viii WI am first rate heer, only
that guide for nnthin snipe Of liz wad-
wurth is heer yet but hop to git rid
ov her Civ my luv tn awl inquirer
this is fren your sister til deth. |.-
r.: u #"< F'NANcS LUTHER" =
3" SHOW, your hapor,Y l said, as I
handed him the letter., and also the
receipts, "you will see that the letter
is directed to Dorcas Luther; also OBJ
serve that one hand WROTE that fetser
and signed these receipts. The jury
will also observe. And now will
only add: it is plain to see how the
hundred dollars were disposed Of
Seventy-five were put into that letter
and sent off for safe-k eeping, while
the remaining twenty-five were pla-
ced in the prisoners trunk, for the
purpose of covering the real criminal.
OF the tone of other parts of the let
ter, leave you to Judge. And now.
gentlemen, leave my clients case
in your hands, only | will thank God
and | know you also will, that an in
nocent person has been thus strangely
saved from ruin and disgrace"
The case was given to the Jury Inn
mediately following their examina-
ton Of the letter, They had heard
from the WITNESSES own mouth that
she had no money Of her own, and
without leaving their seats, they re-
turneda verdict ofA--"NoT Gu1LTY. y
The youth, who had first asked me
to defend the prisoner, caught me by
the hand, but He could not speak
plainly. He simply looked at me
throug Oh tears for a moment, and then
rushed tothe fair prisoner He seem
ed to forget where he was, for he flung
his arms about her, and she laid her
head upon his bosom aud wept aloud.
Twill not attempt to describe the
scene that followed; but if Nancy Bu-
Their had not been Immediately arses-
ted for theft, she would have been
obliged to seek protection Of the off,
GERS, or the excited people would
surely have manned her, ifthey had
done no morejt On the. next morn
ing, j received a note very handsome
lyiwritten, inwhich I was told, that
.sthe within was but q slight token Of
the gratitude due formy efforts in be-
half ola poor, defenceless, but much
loved maiden.nta Il was signed by
stSeveral Citizens, ''and contained one
hundred dollars. HI Shortly afterwards
the youth came to pay me all the mo-
ney ne could raise. Isiinply showed
him the note had received, and ask
ed him if he would keep his hard