Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-03-27


placed in the prisoners box, and the dis
trict attorneys telling, merciless opening
of the case completed, in what seemed to
me TO be but a few minutes Of time
Helen looked more innocent than ever,
and 1 resolved that full justice should be |
done her, if my resources should COM
pass such a result. 1t is in such an hour
that the lawyer feels the honor and dig
nifty of his position; and it IS then that
he also feels its responsibility.
The first witness was Charlotte Boyce,
the servant girl She had been called
by her mistress to go up and see Helen's
trunk searched; she went up, aad saw
the breastpin and the money fould in it
tucked away in the corner. BY my
cross examination, | elected from the
witness that Helen had just come home
from an errand, ION which she had oeen
absent over an hour,) when her tIunk
was searched, and bad on her bonnei and
shawl; that she looked quite innocent
and unconcerned until the things we're
found, and she then seemed astonisled.
On dismissing the witness, / glanced at
the jury, TO see if what had elicitedhad
made any impression upon them, but hey
sat with stern faces, as though resolEed
that nothing should make them clearthe
culprit. called Miss Boyce back, ay-
ing had forgotten very important
point. This excited some attention, and
when I asked her if Mrs. Wesley was in
the habit of i'll treating the prisoner, eye
rybody pricked up their ears. The girl
hesitated and stammered, and finally said
she thought she was. "And why do you
think SOP l asked. She replied Be-
cause Mrs. Wesley beat her oncewith
large club, and threatened to kill her, and
was always scolding her. But dol't ask
me any more questions" she suddenly
exclaimed, "or | shall lose my plaGw /
glanced at Mrs. Wesley, and saw that
she was regarding her with look Of in
tense malignity, and for the purpose of
annoying her as much as possible, ap-
pealed to the court to protect the witness
against the threatening looks Of her mis-
tress, who was evidently bent ON intimi-
dating her, This brought all eyes to a
focus on Mrs. Wesley's ugly counten-
ance, and she turned fairly white with
indignation. The judge told the wit
ness to speak without fear, and if she
lost her present place by telling the truth
she would undoubtedly find plenty of
good ones. Being satisfied with the i'm
preston already made, I told the witness
she might 90, and the district attorney
permitted her to pass without further
questioning.
The next witness was Miss Sarah
Brown, the seamstress "a rat-eyed
hatchet-faced, dapper little creature
+" She was at work for Mrs. Wesley at the
time the theft was discovered. She me-
Helen, the day before her trunk was
searched, coming out of her mistress
room, and she looked so guilty she ther
suspected she had been doing something
wrong. The same day Mrs. Wesley
6 spoke to her about the things being gone
, and she told Mrs. Wesley her suspicious
Thereupon she thought it would be +;
good plan to search Heen's trunk she
! proposed that they should do it at once
but Mrs. Wesley preferred to wait unit
r the next afternoon. When the trunl
was searched, the things we're found in it
just as she expected they would be-"
t When the witness was passed over t.
o me, I asked in a careless tone, how sh
n knew the money was in Mrs. Wesley
| room, the day she had met Helen comini
e thence. She knew because Mrs. Yves
e lev had told her it was there. Shouldn'
e be mistaken, for Mrs. w. had spoke
d about the half-eagIe with a hole in j
n which she was a going to present to th
d minister's little boy This l made be
r. say over and over again, until there coul
o be no mistake about it, and then asked
# she knew who made the hole in the hal
1t eagle. Yes; Mr.. Murch, the jewele
q made it, as he in the room 2" / ash
r. ed. " Yes; there be is" said she, poin
= ing to Murch, who was sitting near.
,e told Miss Brown she could go; and as
d supposed he would do, the district alto
t, ney requested that Dir. Murch should /
IS sworn. The oath having been admin
" tered, the attorney handed Murch tt
J. identical half-eagle and asked him if |
N recognized it. He said he did, that
$ made the hole in If for Mrs. Wesley, ar
IS that the magistrate who committed Il
fv prisoner had made mark upon it so
" could be easily identified. "That's al