Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-05-28


quest, he ordered Mary Murray to be re-
| called. She appeared, quite red with
anger. examined her ss u where she
obtained the ga-net ring, and, as l antici-
pated received only unsatisfactory and
contradictory answers. The judge re-
quested her 10 remove it from her finger,
She refused. An officer in attendance
soon relieved her of the ornament, which
he handed up to the bench The Judge
looked at it refully, and then read from
the inside miles Alien. To the girl |
love best"
There was litter through the court
room. glanced at Miles. He was smiling
and blu5hing, but showed no shame or
embarrassment. 1t was plain he thought
it no unmaniy thing to give a ring to the
girl he loved the best, and he was not un-
willing to have it known that the pretty.
understanding Selma White was that
girl, though she was low in the prisoners
dock on trial as clearinghouse thief.
Now" said the Judge turning to the
clerk, 81 think we will look at those
stolen clothes again" They were pro.
duced, and on being examined, there was
found fastened to some head trimming
"ulCu OIuduSuLSo lue vi 6SS d DlG Vi UEOWu
plush, the same in shade and fabric with
that the clerk had secured. Ia the mean
time an officer had returned from Mary
Murray's lodgings, (where ne had gone at
my suggestion,) with brown plush cap,
which she had lately finished; and. on
comparison, it was found that its material
was the same with the shreds before the
court.
The testimony was now all in, and |
arose to make the defence. | went over
the evidence and showed that there was
nothing against the prisoner but the one
TACT OF possession, always a strong one, |
admitted, bat in this case Outw egbed by
the apparent malice and guilt of the girl
Murray, who had not only hated and
plotted to ruin her, bat had stolen from
herself. In proof of this, alluded to
her Jealousy, threats, and her too great
readiness in throwing suspicion upon Sc
lima. | dweit on the circumstance that a
bit of plush which appeared to be cut
ting from Mary Murray's work, was found
, upon the stolen dress, although it had
, been packed away for long time pre-
!, vious to being found in the prisoners pos
, session. 1t had not been shown that Sc
lima White ever had any plush, or had
T ever been in Mary Murray's room to OBJ
tain it. " Then how" asked, ibid this
detective shred find an opportunity to fas-
ten itself upon dress in sudden transit
from its owners trunk, to strangers
! travelling bag2 .",
''Perhaps," suggested, " Mary Murray
! might tell US. She had similar shred
attached to her shawl, and is it not posi-
BILE, nay. probable, that she should tell
how and where its fellow became attach
ed to the trimming of the stolen dress p
Might it not have been canght in tenn
porary Judgment in her room, or by con-
tact with her own clothesi How else p
In vain of all the circumstances proved, it
was easier to believe that Mary Murray
had stolen the clothes, and then put them
In Selma Whites carpet-bag, in order to
ruin her and get her out of the way, than
that Selma had stolen them"
l then touched upon the garnet ring,
, showing that it had undoubtedly belonged
: to the prisoner, and had been taken from
her carpet-bag when the stolen goods had
been deposited there, and ended with 8
few words of appeal to the conscience
aid sympathy of the judge, intended to
produce its effect on the spectators rather
than the person addressed. The Judge
, whispered a moment with one of the of.
ficers near him, then rose and pronounced
Selma White innocent OF the charges pre-.
ferred against her. There was a loud
, burst of applause. | took Selina's little
cold hand in mine, and told her she had
= better leave with me at once. We had
Just reached the door when Miles Allen
Joined US, shaking hands and laughing and
talking 50 fast that one could scarcely un-
ders;and him. | learned this, however,
. that he and Selma loved each other too
= we'll to be far separated that Selma had
come to get work near Miles at his sug
gestion; that owing to a series of blum.
ders not SO easily explained as frequently
met with, she had failed to find him on
her arrival, but that, certain of meeting
him soon, she had spent her time in look
ing for employment, till she was arrested
and lodged in Jail. Miles declared him
self to have been surprised beyond ex-
preston, so much, even, as to have been
suspicious of his mental state, when, on
going to the court room to make com
plant OF some wrong done to himself, he
saw the very girl he loved the best in the
u dock on trial.
But the lovers were happy now. And
so was |, notwithstanding my old over
coat. | don't know whether or not Miles
noticed that was thinly clad and that, in
spite of a strong effort of the will,
showed great sensitiveness to the cold on
. reaching the outer air, but this | know,
the warm hearted fellow gave into my
hand q don't say paid, for of course
never charged him or Selma anything
he gave me the price of one of the very
best overcoats | ever wore, within week
q of the time when | first met him in the
e police court room.
n There may be some who are DESTROYS to
q know whatever more can tell about the
6 garnet ring, | will, therefore, add, that
d soon after the trial | have described, the
g morning papers reported Mary Murray to
I have been convicted of stealing a ring
! and fined twenty dollars, failing to pay
o which she was sent to jail.
And this, further. No longer ago than
u last summer, met Miles Allen on pleas
ant Sunday afternoon, leading a fine boy
/. who looked the very image of Selma White
u as when | first saw her. Leaning or
|, Miles ri ght arm was Selma herself, and
q what was curious, on her little left hand
which clung to the strong, muscular arm
was the Identical garnet ring that hat
Y proved her innocence. Perhaps she wal
proud of it, and DESTROYS Of having it seer
and admired; perhaps it was SO large
it might have torn or misshaped her glove
0 At any rate, whatever her reason tor 81
doing may have been, she wore it in plaiI
: sight, and | knew it as we'll as Miles AL