The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-12-10

ceipts, which took and examined. They
were signed IN strange; staggering hand,
by the witness.
snow, Nancy Luther,' | said, turning
to the witness, and speaking in quick,
startling tone, at the same time looking her
sternly in the eye, "pease tell the court,
and jury and tell me, where YOU got the
seventy-fve dollars, you sent in your letter
to your sister in Somers?"
The witness started as though a volcano
had burst at her feet. She turned pale as
DEATH and every limb shook violently. |
waited until all the people could have an
opportunity to see her emotion, and then |
repeated the question.
"I--never--sent-any," she gasped
You did! - Numbered, for | was excl.
ted new.
ell didn't" she family muttered,
grasping the railing by her side for support.
"May it please your honor, and gentle
men of the jury" said, as soon as | had
looked the witness out of countenance, 81
came here to defend man who was arrested
for robbing the mail, and in the course of
my preliminary examinations | had access
to the letters which had been torn open and
robbed of money. When | entered upon
this case, and heard the name of this witness
pronounced, | went out and got this letter
which | now hold, for | remembered having
seen one bearing the signature Of Nancy
Luther. This letter was taken from the
mail bag, and it contained seventy-five dol
lars, and by looking at the post mark you
will observe that it was mailed the day after
the hundred dollars were taken from Mrs.
Naseby's drawer. will read it to you, if
you please"
The court nodded assent, and read the
!, following, which was without date, save that
IN qde by the postmaster upon the outside. -
| give it rerbatim:
SrsrE.' DoRcAs: cend yu hear seventy,
FIVE doers wlch want yu to cope fur me til
cum hum cant cope it cos i'm feered it
will cit stole don't speek wun word to Twin
sole bout this don't want nobodee to no i've
cot env n,ony WI wont now will yu am fust
rate hear uniy that gud for nuthin snipe of
liz madworth is hear yit but hop to git
over her now. yu no rote to yu bout her
xiv my hv to al inquirin frens this is trum
your sister til deth. NANCY LUTHER.
"Now. your honor" | said, as l gave
him the let. ar, and also the receipts, ''you
will see that I've letter is directed to Dorcas
Luther, Somers. Montgomery county. And
YOU will observe that one hand wrote that
letter and signed the receipt, and the jury
will also observe. Aud now I will only
add, it is plain to see he y the hundred DOL
lars were disposed Of S, 7enty,fve dollars
were sent off for safe keeping, while the re-
naming twenty FIVE were placed in the prls'
oner's trunk for the purpose Of Co. -et'ng the
real criminal. OF the tone of paris OF the
letter, you must judge. | now leave my
clients case in your hands
The case was given to the jury imme-
hately following the examination of the let
ter. They had heard from the prisoner
own mouth that she had no money of her
own, and without leaving their seats they
returned q verdict Of - Not Guilty"
| will not describe the scene that folowed;
but if Nancy Luther had not been immc'
dately arrested for theft, she would have
been obliged to seek protection from the
officers, or the excited people would have
manned her at least, if they had not done
more.
The next morning received note hand
somely written, in which | was told that the
within was but slight token of the graft
tude due me for my efforts in behalf of the
poor defenseless maiden. 1t was signed
"Several Citizens, and contained one hun
dred dollars. Shortly afterwards the youth
who first begged me to take up the case,
called upon me with all the money he could
raise, but showed him that had already
been paid, and refused his hard earnings -
Before left town was guest at his wed
dinghy fair client being the happy bride.
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