Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-10-23
che Ohio 9tatesm,am
T K r N O.
Tho Criminal witness.

given to me for examination, and | returned |
them to the prosecuting attorney Having got |
through my preliminares about noon, and as
the case would not come off before the next
day, went into court In the afternoon to see |
what was going on. The fret case that came
up was one of theft, and the prisoner was
young girl not more than seventeen years of
age, named Elizabeth Madworth She was
very pretty, and bore that mild, innocent look,
which we seldom end in culprit. She had
been weeping profusely, but as she found so
many eyes upon her, che became too frightened
TO weep more.
The complaint against her set forth that che
had stolen hundred dollars from Mrs, NAse-
by, wealthy widow living In the town, and the
girls mistress. The poor girl declared her in
nocence in the widest terms but Circumstance
es were hard against her. A hundred dollars
in bank notes.ha been stolen from her mis-
tress's room, and she was the only one that had
access there. .
At this juncture, when the mistress was upon
the witness stand, a young man came and
caught me by the arm. He was fine loDkin,
man, and big tears stood in his eyes.
"They tell me you are a lawyer" he whiS-
pered.
"l am lawyer" answered.
"Then do save her! You certainly can do
| it, for she is innocent2"
"Is abe your sister7"
"No sir" he added, "But-but-"
Here he hesitated.
"Has she no counsel2n | asked
| "None that's good for anything - nobody
thatil do anything for her. o, save her! aud
I'll give you all I've got can't give you
much, but | can raise something"
rejected moment, cast my eyes toward
the prisoner, and she was at that moment look
ing at me. She caught my eye, and the vol
ume OF eItreaLy read in her glance resolved
me 10 moment. l arose and went to tne girl,
and asked If abe wished me 20 defend her. She
said yea. then informed the court that was
ready TO enter into the case, and was admitted
at once. The loud murmur OF satisfaction that
ran quickly through the room, told me where
the sympathies OF the people were. asked for
momenrs cessation, that might tspeak to my
client. l went and sat down by her side, and
asked her to state candidly tAe whole case.--
She told me that she had lived with Mrs. Nase
by nearly two years, and had never had any
trouble before. About two weeks ago, she
said her mistress lost hundred dollars.
"She missed it from her drawer" the girl
said to me, "and asked me about it. said
knew nothing about 1t. That evening, know
Nancy Luther told Mra. Naseby that she saw
me take tho money from the drawer-that she
watched me through the keyhole. Then they
went to my trunk and found twenty-five dollars
of the missing money there. But sir, never
took it and somebody must have put it there"
then asked her if she suspected any one.
i 81 don't know" she added, "who could have
done it but Nancy. She has never liked me,
because she thought that was better treated
than she. She is tie cook. | was the chamber
maid"
She pointed Nancy Luther out to me. She
was stout, bold faced girl, somewhat about
five and twenty years old, with a low forehead
small grey eyes, q pug nose and thick lips.
7 caught her glance at once, as IL rested on thu
fair young prisoner, and the moment detected
the look of hatred which read there, wal
Q convinced that she was the rogue.
"Nancy Luther did you cay that girls name
wasl | asked, for new light had broken in up
on me.
eyes, SIR"
left the court room and went to the prose
cutting attorney and asked him for the letters
had handed him-the ones that had been stolen
from the mail bag. He gave them to me, and
having selected one, returned the rest, and
told him would see he had the one kept be-
fore night. then returned to the court room
and the case went on.
Mrs. Naseby resumed her testimony. She
said che intrusted the room to. the prisoners
care, and that no one else had access there say,
herself. Then she described about missing thu
money, and closed by telling that che fount
twenty-five dollars Of the missing money 10 th,
prisoners trunk. She could swear it was tn,
identical money she had lost, in two tens anC
one Eve dollar bank note
"Mrs. Naseby," said /, "when you frs
missed that money, had you any reason to be
lieve that the prisoner had taken it7'
Q "N0, sir" sbe answered
= "Had you ever before detected her in an,
= dishonesty7"
> "Should you have thought of searching he
trunk had not Nancy Luther advised aud il
formed you7"
"No, cir"
: Mrs Naseby left the stand. and Nancy Lu
ther took her place. She came up with Dol
look, and upon me che cast defiant glance, a
If to say, "Trap me If you can" She gave he
evidence as follows;
She said that on the night the money wa
taken she saw the prisoner going up stairs, an
from the sly manner in which she went I'D sh
suspected all was not right. So che followe
her up. elizabeth went to Mrs. Naseby
room and shut the door after her. stoope
down and looked through the keyhole, and so
her take the money and put 1t In her pocket
: Then abe stopped down and picked up the lamy
and as saw that che was coming out hurrie
away"
Then she went on, and told how she had In
formed her mistress of this, and how she ha
l. proposed to search the girls trunk. T
n, called -Mrs Naseby to the stand.
"a "You said that no one, save yourself and Ii
~ prisoner, had access to your ROOM" said
III "Now, could Nancy Luther have entered u
70 room If she wished.n Ir y .-fl. a
O. "Certainly, sir; meant that no one else bs
!. any right there" e10o efi ig o9
say that Mrs, Naseby, though naturally
hard woman was somewhat moved by poor Els
beth's misery. 8 1laiasi laia.tot
h "Could your cook have known, by any meal
n In your knowledge, where your money vast"
ii "Yes, sir; for she has often come to my roo
III while was there, and have often given h
a, money to buy provisions of market men WI
q happened to be coming along with their wa
ons" sa. a- al p vltt2'
zone more question; have you known
the prisoner having used any money since tn
was stolen2" Jl' aAfal
"No, SIR"
now called Nancy Luther back, and che b
\, gan 70 tremble little, though her look was
al, bold and defiant as ever. 3 1Ns sH
' A.Miss Luther" said, ''why did you not
form your mistress at once Of what you
% seen, without waiting for her to ask for the |,
lmouey?" ,s. 5ser,el. asN
because could not at once make up,l
mind to expose the poor girl" she answer
= promptly. ssi alsl. ,f,4. Ia 4.
"You say you looked through the keyht
tand saw her take the money!"
"Yes, sir."' "',s,..,t { y 81 ..~,l tisl g.i .1,i
"a "0n the bureau" ..........ss
!. "In,your testimony you said she stopped do
- when che picked Il up. What do you mean