Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-09-08
Seler. Sluru.
THE CRIMINAL WITNESS.


Jackson, Alabama, to attend court, having
been engaged to defend young man who
had been accused of robbing the mail, |
arrived early in the morning and imme~
diately had long conference with my eli
emit. The stolen mail bag had been re-
covered, as VOL as the letters from which
money had been rifed. These letters
were given me for examination, and | re-
turned them to the prosecuting attorney.
Having got through my private prcllmina
ries about noon, and as the case would not
come off before the next day, | went into
court in the afternoon to sac what was
going on.
The first case that came up was young
girl not moro than seventeen years of age,
named Elizabeth Madworth. She was
very pretty and bore that mild, innocent
look which you seldom find in culprit.-
She had been weeping profusely, bnt as
she found so many eyes upon her, she be-
came too frightened to weep more.
The complaint agains her set forth that
she had stolen hundred dollars from a
Mrs. Naseby, and as the case went on, |
found that this Mrs Naseby, a wealthy
widow living in the town, was the girls
mistress. The poor girl declared her in
nocencc in the widest terms, but clrcum-
stances 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
iuncture, when the mistress was upon the
witness stand, young man caught me
by the arm He was ine looking young
mar and big tears stood in his eyes.
They tell me you arc good lawyer,
he whispered.
L am lawyer I answered.
Then do save her. You can do it, for
she is innocent
is she your sister ?
NO sir, he added; 'but-but-' here
he hesitated.
HAS she no counsel 2 asked.
None that is worth anything nobody
thatll do anything for her. Oh, save
her and I'll give you all I've got. l
can't give you much, but | can raise
something
reflected moment. | east my eyes
toward the prisoner; and she was at that
moment looking at me. She caught my
eve and the volume of humble entreaty
read in her glance resolved me In mo-
ment.
l arose and went to the girl and asked
her if she wanted me to defend her She
said yes. then informed the court that
1 was ready to enter into the case, and
the murmur of satisfaction thatru quick
ly through the room, told me where the
sympathies of the people were. | asked
for a moments cessation, that | might
speak with my client. | went and sat
down by her side and asked her to state
candiliy the case. She told me she had
lived with Mrs. Naseby two years and had
never had any trouble before. Aud two
weeks ago, she said, her mistress lost one
hundred dollars
She missed 1t from her drawer, the
girl said to me, 'and asked me about it.
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
thro the keyhole, They went to my trunk
and found twenty-five dollars Of the miss.
ing money there. But, sir, never took
it, and somebody must have put it there
then asked her if she bad suspected
any one.
i don't know she said, who could
have done it but Nancy. She has never
liked me, because she tho't me better trea-
ted than she. She is cook. was the
chambermaid.'
She pointed Nancy Luther out to. me.