The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1860-06-01
Gflnt Gale.
THE CRIMINAL WITNESS.
A Lawyers $ tory.

In the spring of 1913, twas called TO jack
son, Alabama, to attend court, havlag been en-
gagged 70 defend young man who had. been ac-
cused of robbing the mail. | arrived early in
the morning, and immediately had a long con-
versation with my client The stolen mail bag
had been recovered, as well as the letters from
which the money had been rifed. These let
ters were given me for examication, and then
returned them to the prosecuting attorney
Having got through my private preliminarieS a.
bout noon, and as the case would not come off
before the next day, went into the court in the
afternoon to see what was going on. The first
case that came up was one of theft, and the
prisoner was young glrI not more than seven
teen wears of age, named Elizabeth Madworth.
She was very pretty, and bore that mild, inno-
cent look which we seldom find in a culprit.-
She had been weeping profusely, but she
found so many eyes upon her, she became too
frightened to weep more.
The complaint against her, set forth that she
had stolen one hundred dollars from Mrs.
NaSeby, and as the case went on, | found tha.
this Mrs. Naseby, a wealthy widow living in
the town, was the girls witness. The poor girl
declared her innocence in the widest terms,
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 that had access there.
At this iuncture, when the mistress was upon
the witness stand, young man came and caught
me by the arm. He was fine looking man,
andbig tears stood in his eyes.
"They tell me you are good lawyer" he
whispered.
81 am lawyer l answered.
"rhen do save her You can certainly do
it, tor she is innocent
sis she your sister %
FNo, slr," he said, "but, but
Here he hesitated.
"FaS she no counsel % | asked.
"None that's good for anythiug-nobody
thatll do anything for her. o, save her, and
III give you all Ive got. I can't give you
much but can raise something.
| reflected for moment. | cast nv 'eyes to-
wards the prisoner, and she was at that moment
looking at me. She caught my eye, and the
volume OF humble entreaty read in her glance
resolved me in moment. | arose and went
to the girl, and asked if she wished me to defend
her. She said yes. then informed the court
that | was ready to enter inlo the case and was
admitted at once. The loud murmur of satIS-
'S~N'SH ""4Nh Aoh tbC lOOii tOiu
me- where the sympathies of the people were.
| asked for moments cessation, that | might
speak to my client. 1 went and sat down by
her side, and asked her to state candidly, the
whole case. She told me she had lived with
Mrs. NaSeby nearly two years, and had never
any trouble before. About two weeks ago,
she said, her mistress lost hundred dollars.
s'She missed it from the drawer" the girl
said to me, ''and she asked me about 1t. said
knew nothing about it. That evening, know
Nancy Luther told Mrs. Naseby that she saw
me take the money from the drawer-that she
watched me through the keyhole. Then they
went to my trunk and found twenty-five dol
lars OF the missing money there. But, sir,
never took it, and somebody must have put it
there'
then asked hel if she suspected any one.
81 don't know" she said, 'Ewho could have
dons il but Nancy. She has never liked me