Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-02-22
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THE CRIMINAL WITNESS.

'
accused of robbing the mail / arrived early
in tine morning and immediately had a long
conference with my client. The stolen mail
bag had been recovered as well as the letters
from which the money had been rifled. These
letters were given me for examination, and
returned them to the prosecuting attorney.
Having got through my private preliminaries
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 first
case that came up was one of theft, and the
prisoner was young girl not more than sew
enteen years of age, named Elizabeth Mad
worth. She was very pretty, and bore that
mild, innocent look, which we seldom find in
euprit, She had been weeping profusely,
but as she found so many eyes upon her, she
became too frightened to weep more.
The complaint against her set forth that she
had stolen hundred dollars from Mrs Mas
ehy, and as the case went on found that this
Mrs. Naseby, a wealthy widow living in town,
was the girls mistress. The poor girl declar-
ed her innocence in the widest terms, but cir.
cumstances were hard against her. A hun.
dred dollars in bank notes had been stolen
from her MISTRESS room, and she was the
only one that had access there.
AT this juncture, when the mistress was up
on the witness stand, young man came and
caught me by the arm. He was fine look
ing young man, and big tears stood in his
eyes.
"They tell me you are good lawyer" he
whispered.
81 am a lawyer" ans were
Then do save her. You Certainly can do
it, for she is innocent.
SIS she your sister ?'
'No, sir" he added: "but, but" Here he
hesitaled.f
elias she no counsel" asked.
''None that's good for any thing-nobody
that'll do anything for her. o, save her ! and
I'll give you all I've got. l can't give you
much, but can raise something"
l reflected moment. | east my eyes to-
wards the prisoner, and she was at that mo-
ment louking at me. She caught my eye and
the volume OF humble entreaty l read in her
glance resolved me in a 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 into the
case, and was admitted at once. The loud
murmur of satisfaction that ran quickly
through the room told me where the sympa-
thies of the people were. / asked for a mo-
ment's cessation that might speak with my
client. l went and sat down by her side and
asked her to state candidly the whole case.
She told me that she had lived with Mrs. Mas
eby two years, and had never had any trouble
before. About two weeks ago, she said, her
mistress lost a hundred dollars.
"She missed it from her drawer" the girl
said TO me- ''and asked me about it, l said
l 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 kevhole
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
II don't know" she said, "who could have
done it but Nancy. She has never liked me
because size thought was better treated than
she. She is the cook. l was the chamber
maid"
She pointed Nancy Luther out to me. She
was stout, boldfaced girl, somewhere about
five and twenty years old, with low fore
head, small grey eyes, pug nose, and thick
lips. caught her glance at once, as it rested
on the fair young prisoner, and the moment
detected the look Of hatred which | read there
was convinced she was the rogue.
"Nancy Luther did you say that girls name
was 2" / asked, for new light had broken in
upon ME.
Eyes, sir"
lett the court room and went TO the prose.
cutting attorney and asked him for the letters
l had handed him-the ones that had been
stolen from the mailbag. He gave them to
me, and having selected one, returned the
rest, and told him | would see he had the one
kept before night. then returned TO the
court room and the case went on.
Mrs. Naseby resumed her testimony. She
said she entrusted the room TO the prisoners
care, and that no one else had access there
save herself. Then she described about
missing the money and closed by telling how
she had found twenty five dollars of it in the
prisoners trunk. She could swear it was the
identical money she had lost, in two tens and
one five dollar bank note.
"Mrs 'Naseby," said I, "when you first
missed the money had you any reason to be-
lieve that the prisoner had taken it 2"
g. mo, sir, she answered.
"Had y on ever before detected her in any
dishonesty 2"
No, sli."
"Should you have thought of searching her
trunk had not Nancy Luther advised and in
formed } GU Z"
"ND, sir.
MIS- Naseby left the stand, and Nancy
Luther took her place. She came up with a
bold look, and upon me she cast a defiant
glance, as it to say, trap me if you can
She gave her evidence as follows
She said that on the night the money was
and from the sly manner in which she went
up she suspected all was not right. She fol
lowed her up. Elizabeth went to Mrs Nase.
by's room and shut the door after her. stoop
ed down and looked through the key hole,
and saw her take out money and put in her
pocket. Then she stopped down aud picked
up the lamp, and as / saw that she was com.
ing out hurried away"
Then she went on, told how she had inform
ed her mistress Of this, and how she proposed
to search the girls trunk.
l called Mrs. Naseby to the stand
"You said that no one save yourself and the
prisoner, had access to your room," | SAID
i'Now could Nancy Luther have entered the
room il she wifhed."
"Certainly, sir; / meant that no one else
had any right there"
L saw that Mrs. Naseby, though naturally 4
hard woman, was somewhat moved by pool
Elizabeth's misery.
could your. cook have known by any
means in your knowledge, where your money
was?"
"Yes, sir for she has often come to my
room while was there, and have often civ
Ell her money to buy provisions of market
men who happened to come along with thei
wagons"
zone more question. Have you known O
the prisoner having used any money sine
this was stolen g. .
"NO SIR"
now called Nancy Luther back, and sh
began to tremble little, though her look wa
as bold and defiant as ever.
"Miss Luther" / said, "why did you nc
inform your mistress OF what you have see
without waiting for her TO ask about the los
moneys
because could not at once make up m