Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-12-22
Miscellaneous.
The Critical Witness.

man who had been accused of robbine
the mail. l arrived early in the morn
ing and Immediately had long con
ference with my client. The stoler
bag had been recovered. as well as the
letters which the money had been rifled
These letters we're given me for my
examination, and returned them to
the prosecuting attorney. Having got
through my preliminaries about noon,
and as the case would not como oil be-
| fore 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 a
young girl not more than seventeen
years OF age, named Elizabeth Mad
worth. She was very pretty, and bore
that mild, innocent look which we
seldom find in a culprit. She had
been weeping profusely, but as she
found so many eyes upon her. she be-
came too frightened to weep more.
The complaint against her set forth
that she had stolen hundred dollars
from . Mrs. Nasty, and as the case
went on found that this Mrs. Nasty.
wealthy widow living in the town.
was the girls mistress. The poor .irl
declared her innocence in the widest
terms but circumstances were hare,
against her. \ hundred dollars in
bank notes had been stolen from her
mlstress's room, and she was the only
one that had access there.
At this juncture. when the mistress
was upon the witness stand, young
man came and caught me by the arm
lie was fine looking man, and big
tears stood in his eyes.
They tell me you are a good law
yer" he whispered.
Il am lawyer" I answered.
Then do save her You certainly
can do it, for she is innocent"
lis she your sister,"
NO sir" he added. "bu.-but-'
Here he hasitatcd.
Has she no counsel. I"
None that's good for anything-no
body that'il do anything for her. O.,
save her; and I'll give you all I've got.
! cant give you much-but can raise
something"
reflected moment | cast my
eyes towards the prisoner, and she
WAS at that moment looking at me.
She caught my eye, and the volume of
entreaty l read in her glance resolved
int In e moment.
! arose and went to the girl, and
asked II she wished me to defend her.
She said YES. | then informed the
Court that was ready TO enter the
case, aud was admitted at once. The
loud murmur Of satisfaction that ran
through the crowd, told me where the
sympathles Of the people were asked
Tor moments cessation, that | might
speak TO nv client. | went and sat
down BY her side. ! asked her to
state candidly the whole case. She
told me she had lived with Mrs. Nasty
nearly two years, and had never had
any trouble before. About two weeks
ago, she said, her mistress missed a
hundred dollars.
"She missed it from the drawer"
the girl said to me-" and asked me
about it. l SAID | knew nothing about
1t. That evening. | know Nancy
Luther told Mrs. Nasty that she saw
me take the money from the drawer
that she watched me through the kew.
hole, Then they went to nv trunl,
and found twenty-five dollars of the
missing money there. But, sir. nev.
er took it, and somebody must hav,
put it there"
than asked her if she suspected
any one.
4 don't KNOW she said, ,who coulc
have done it but Nancy. She has new
er liked me because she thought | wa.
better treated than she. She is til,
cook. was the chamhermaid."
She pointed Nancy Luther cut to me
She was q stout, bold-faced girl, some
where about five-and-twenty years old
with low forehead, small, gray eyes
apug nose and thick lips. | caugh
her glance at once, as it rested on tn,
fair Young prisoner, and the momen
| detected the look of hatred which
read there, | was convinced that sh,
was the rogue.
"Naucy Luther did you say tina
girls name was?" ] asked, for a new
light had broken in upon me.
"Yes, sir"
left the court room and went t,
the prosecution attorney and aske,
him for the letters had handed hun
the ones that had beef stolen from tn
mail bag He gave them to me, an,
having selected one ! returned the res
and told him ! would see he had tn
one ! kept before night. then re
turned to the court room, and the cas-
went on.
Mrs. Nasty resumed her testimony
She said she intrustetl the room to til
prisoners care and that no one els
had access there, save herself. The
she described about missing the none
and closed by telling how she foun
twenty ti"e dollar of the missing none
in the prisoners trunk. She could swea
it was the identical money she ha
lost, in two tens and one five-dolla
} bank note.
MRS. Nasby," said l, "when 20
first misseu the money, had you an
reason to believe that the prisoner ha
taken it!'
SsNn cir - che answorod
''Had you ever detected her in an
; dishonesty"
mo, SIR"
''ShOuld you have thought Of search
|. ing her trunk, had not Nancy Luth.
advised and informed your"
mo, SIR"