Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-05-23


will read IT to you if yeu please.
The court NODDED assent and read
the following, which was without
date save that made by the post
masters stamp on the outside. /
give IT here verbatim -
Sister Dorcas send you heer
sevente-iye dolers, which i want yu
to kepe II for me ill cum hum, i
cant kepe it here coz ime afraid it
will get stole, don't speke wun wurd
10 a living sole bout this coz don't
want nobodl to know that i have got
emmy money yu wont will yu. lam
first rate heer, ONLY that guide for
nuihn snipe liz madwurih is heer
yit--but hope to git rid Of her
now. yu kno roie va bout her give
mi luv TO awl enquirer frienes. this
is from your sister I'll deth.
NANCY LUTHER.
Now, your honor said, as |
handed him the letter, and also the
receipts, you will see that the letter
is directed to Dorcas Luthur, Som
crs, Montgomery County. And you
will also observe that one hand wrote
that letter and signed those receipts.
II is plain how the hundred dollars
were disposed Of Seventy-hve were
in that letter and sent away for safe
keeping, while the remaining twenty
five were placed in the prisoners
trunk for the purpose OF covering
the real criminal. OF the tone OF
the other parts of the letter, leave
you tojudge. And now gentlemen OF
the Jury | leayem case in your hands,
only | will thank God, aud | know
YOU will also, that an innocent person
has been thus strangely saved from
ruin and disgrace.
The case was given TO the Jury
Immediately following the examina-
lion 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
returned a verdict Of Not Guilty
The youth who had first asked me
10 defend the prisoner, caught me
by the hand but he could not speak
plainly He simply looked at me
through his tears for a moment, and
then rushed to the prisoner He
seemed TO forget where he was, for
he flung his arms around her, and
she laid her head upon his bosom
and wept aloud.
will not attempt to describe the
scene that followed ; but if Nancy
Luther had not been arrested for
theft, she would have been obliged
TO seek the protection of the officers (;
for the excited people would have
surely manned her, if they had done
no more. Next morning, | received
a note, handsomely written, in which
! was told that the within was but n
slight token Of gratitude due me for
my efforts in behalf of a poor de-
lenceless, but much loved maiden,
1t was signed Several Citizens and
Con'ul'ieu "''~ '-- Tod dollars-
Shortly afterwards the youth came II
pay all the money he could raise.
simply showed him the note | had
received, and asked him to keep his
hard earnings for his wife when he
got one. He owned he had intend
ed to make Lizzie Madworlh bis wife
very soon.
Next day, succeeded in clearing
my other client from conviction of
robbing the mail and made con-
siderable handle of the fortunate dis
covery Of the letter which had saved
an innocent girl on the day before,
in my appeal to the jury; and if |
made them feel that The finger of
OmnlpolenLe was in the work, il was
because sincerely believed the
young man was innocent OF all crime
and am sure they thought so too.