Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-06-06
The Criminal Witness.


been engaged to defend young man who
had been accused of robbing the mail.
arrived early in the morning, and immedi-
ateiy had long conference with my client
The stolen mailbag had been recovered, as
we'll as the letters from which the money
had been rifed These letters were given
me for examination, and returned them to
the prosecuting attorney Having got
through my private preliminaries about
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 seventeen years Of age, named Eliza
beth Madworth. She was very pretty, and
bore that mild, innocent lock Which you sch
dom find in a culprit. She had been weep
ing 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 bad stole hundred dollars from a Mrs.
Naseby, and as the case went on, | found
that this Mrs. Naseby, a wealthy widow
living in town, was the girls mistress. The
poor girl declared her innocence in the Wild
est 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 who had
access there.
At this junctufe, when the mistress was
upon the witness stand, a young man caught
me by the arm. He was a fine-lookine
young man, and big tears stood in his eyes,
They tell me you are a geod lawyer,
he whispered.
Il am a lawyer" answered.
"ghen dc save her. You can certainly
do il, for she is Innocent"
"Is she your sister?"
No, sir" he added; "but-but-" Here
he hesi,ated.
"Has she no counsel p l asked.
"None that's good for anything--nobody
that'll do anything for her. Oh, save her
and III give you all I've got. can't give
you much, bul can raise something"
| reflected moment. cast nay eye'
toward the prisoner, and she was at tha
moment looking at me. She caught my
eye, and the volume of humble eptreaty
read in her glance resolved me in a mo
ment. 1 arose and went TO the girl ant
asked her if she wished me to defend her
She said yes. / then informed the cour
/ that | was re ady TO enter into the case, anC
was admitted at once. The loud murmu
of satisfaction which ran quickly through
1 the room told me where the sympathies 0
the people were. asked for moment
cessation that | might speak with my client
| went out and sat down by her side an,
asked her to state csndidly the whole case
She told me that she had lived with Mr.:
Naseby two years and had never had an,
trouble before. About two weeks ago, sh
said, her mistress lost hundred dollars.
'.She missed it from her drawer" th'
girl said to me, "and asked me about it.
said / knew nothing about it. That eve
ming know Nancy Luther told Mrs. Nase
Icy that she saw me take the money from
the drawer-that she watched me through
the keyhole. They went to my trunk an,
found twenty-five dollars of the missini
money there. But, sir, never took it, an
somebody must haye put it there"
/ then asked ber if she suspected an
one.
~ don't know" she said. awbo copld hav
done il but Nancy. She never liked m
because she thought | was better treate
than She. She Is the cook. / was III
chambermad."
She nointed Nancy Iu,ber ont to me-
1 She was a stont bold.f,ced oirl somewher
ehon, fye-ana twenty vaars oI,; with a Low
forabead small g,ay ewes nno-nose am
tLick Inns caneht her dance AZ once a
Il rested anon the fair Young prisoner, am
the moment | detected the look OF hatre,
Which | read here I was convinced sh
was tba rogna
aNancv Luther did YOU say that Girl
name was ?" asked. for new lisbt ha,
hrotsn IN pnon me-
..Yes sirn
7 left the court. room and went to I'll
,,rosecntino s,torrev and askad him for III
ist,.rs whieb I had handed bim-tbe one
that had been stolen from the mail-bag.-
H. Gave tbem TO me. and having seleete,
ono I returned the resi-. and told him
wo,'ld 500 he had the one | kent betor
n;ah, ,ben r.tnrned "a the court-roop
and the case went nm.
Mr. Nasabv resumed her Testimony
shs ss5i sbe entrusted the room 10 the nris
onor's care and that no one else had arces
,roao -. go Larsslr Tben she describe,
sboni missing tbe money. and closed bv tel
limo how She had found twenty-five dollar