The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1870-06-30
The Criminal witness.

fsnd q young inaa3 who had been
accused Of robbing the mail. ]
arrived early in the morning and
Immediately had9a long conference
with my client: The stolen mail
bag had been recovered, as well as
phe letters from which money had
been rifed. These letters were
given me for examination, and /
lcturnedtbem to the prosecuting
attorney Having got through ny
lpriyateipgelimiRaries about noon,
Fnd as tie caee would mot come
of before the next day, / went in,
to court in the afternoon to sec
what vas going on!12
The first that came up was d
case Of theft, and the prisoner was
a young girl not more than seven
teen years Of ago, and named Eliz-
abeth Madwofth. She was very
pretty and bore. that mild, inno-
cent look which you seldom find
in culprit, She had been weep
ing profusely, but as she found SO
many eyes upon her, she became
too much frightened to weep more.
The complaint against her set
forth that she had stolen, a hun
dred dollars from Mrs. Nasby,
and as the case went on, Iyfound
that Mrs. Nasby, a wealthy widow
living in the town, was the girls
mistress. The poor girl declared
her innocence in the widest terms,
but the circumstance was hard
against her, At this juncture,
when the mistress was upon the
witness stand, a young man caught
me by the arm. He was fine
looking young man and big tears
stood in his eyes.
"They tell me you are a good
lawyer" he whispered. M
II am a lawyer" 1 answered.
"Then do save her. You can do
it, for she is innocent"
as she your sister,
"No sir" he added, ''but-but-"
here he hesitated.
"She has no counselT I asked.
"None that is worth anything
nobody that will do anything for
her. Oh, save her, and I'll give you
all I've got Ican't give you much,
but l can raise something.
] reflected, / cast my eyes to-
ward the prisoner; and as she was
atthat moment looking at me, she
caught my eye, and the volume Of
humble entreaty read in her glance,
resolved me in moment.
/ / arose and went to the girl and
asked her if she wanted me to de.
fend her. She said yes. I then
| informed the court that ! wasready
to enter into the case, and the mur
mur of satisfaction that ran quick,
ly through the room, told me where
the sympathies ofthe people were
asked for moments cessation
that might speak with my client
I went and sat down by hel
side and asked her to state the
case candidly. She told me she
had lived with Mrs. Nasby for two
years and had never had any
trouble before. About two weeks
ago she said her mistress had los
q hundred dollars.
"She missed it from her drawer,
the girl said to me, ''and asked mi
about it. / said that / knew moth
ing about it. That evening Iknov
that Nancy Luther told Mrs. Mas
by that she saw me take the mon
ey from the drawer, that sh
watched me through the key-hole
J They went to my trunk and founc
twenty-five dollars of the missin!
money there. But, sir, / neve
took it, and somebody must hav'
put it there"
/ then asked her if she suspect
ed anv one
81 don't know" she said, "wh,
could have done it but Nancy. Sh
never liked me, because sh
thought me better treated thal
she. She is the cook. l was tn
chambermaid."
She pointed Nancy Luther ou
to me. she was a stout bold-fac
ed girl, somewhere about five and
twenty years of age; with a 10y
forehead, small grey eyes, pui
nose and thick lips. ! caught he
glance at once as it rested upo
the prisoner, and the moment | dc
tected the look of hatred | rea
here, was convinced that she wa
he rogue.
"Nancy Luther did you say tina
.irl's name wasY' | asked for a ne'
light had broken in on me.
"Yes sir"
left the court room and went t
the prosecuting attorney and aske
him for the letters | had handle
him-the one that had been stole
from the mail bag. He gave theI
to me, and having selected the on
l returned the rest, and told hiI
/, he would see the one / kept befor
!. night. l then returned to th
court room and the case went OF
Mrs. Nasby resumed her test
Mt mony. She said she entrusted I'll
room to the prisoners care, an
that no one had access to it say
herself. Then described about tf
Il missing money, and closed by tel
= ing how she found the twenty-fi,
dollars Of it in the prisoner
trunk.
She could swear it was the ide,
tical money she lost, in two tel
and q five dollar note.
"Mrs. Nasby," l said, "when yc
first missed the money, had yc
any reason to believe that the pri
oner had taken it2
"No sir" she answered.
"Had you ever before detects
n her dishonestyY
= 'tNo, sir"