Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-12-30
TaE CkrMkAi wiTsEss.

been engaged t6 Defend yoine man who
had been aecussd of robbing the mail. /
arrived early IN the morning and imme-
diately had aeslohE conference with my
client The stolen mailbag had been re-
covered, as we'll as the letters from which
the mon y had been rifled. These letters
were given me for examination, aSd re.
turned them to the prosecuting attorney
Having got through my preliminaries
about noon, and Ms the case would not
come off before the next day, | went into
court in the. afternoon to see what was 60
ing on. The first case that came up was
one of theft, and the prisoner was young
girl not more than seventeen years of age,
named Elizabeth Madworth 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-up0n her, she be-
cane too fightened toNTecp more. = .
The compliant against her set forth that
she had stolen q hundred dollars from a
Mrs. Naseby, and as the case went on
found that Mrs. NaselN, wealthy widow
living in the town, was the girls mistress.
Theipoor girl declaTed her innocence in
tbe-wildest terms, but circumstances were
hard against her. A hundred dollars in
bank npte4hsi been stpleIrfrom her mis-
tress r0om, and she vas tie only one that
had access there At this hlnct1Te, when
the mistress was upon the witness stand, a
young man came and caught me by the
arm. He. was a fine looking man, and big
tears stood inshis eyes. HI
ef'hey tell me you are a good lawyer"
he whispered.
al am lawyer" I answered
"Then do save her! You certainly can
do it, for she is innocent"
Is she your sister,"
No, sir" he added, but-but-"
Here he ,hesitated.
"HA1sifd no edunsel?" 1 asked.
%None that's good for anything-nobody
thatll do anything for her. o, save her;
and I'll give you all I've got. | can't give
you much, but can raise you something.
| reflected a moment / cast my eyes
towards the prisoner, and she was at that
momeR8lDdking at rne.s She caught my
eye, and the volume of entreaties read in
her glance resolved me in moment.
arose and went to the girl, and asked if she
wishad'me to defend her. She said yes.
then informed the Court that | was ready
to enter the case. aad was admitted at once.
The loud murnur of satisfaction that ran
quickly through the room told me where
the sympathies of the people were. | then
asked for moments cessation, that
might speak to my client. | went and sat
down by her side, and asked her to state
candidly the whole case. She told me she
had lived with Mrs. Naseby nearly two
years, ,sala had never had any trouble be-
fore.' About two weeks ago, she said, her
mistress lost hundred dollars.
"She missed it from her drawer" the
girl said TO me, "and asked me about it.
said / knew nothing about it. That
evening, know Nancy Luther told Mrs
NasebY. thatshe saw me take the money
froms tue drawer-that she watched me
througfi khe keyhole. Then they went to
mytriihk and found twenty five dollars OF
theRissing money there. But, sir, never
took it, and somebody must have put it
there"
then asked her if She suspected any
one.
y dent kngg,n shs said. who could
have done it but Nancy. She has never
liked me, because she thought | was better
treated. than she. She is the cook. was
. theschanlbemaid.
,eSile point ed Nancy Luther out to me.
SheN was a Stout, bold faced girl some.
where about fYe and twenty years old
with al lo% forehead, small, grey eyes, a
pug nose and thick lips | caught her
glance at once, as it r4Tted on the fail
young prisoner, and.the moment | detect
ed-the- hook of-hatred which read there
was convinced that-she was the rogue.
Nancy Luther did you say that girls
name was?" asked, for new light had
brokenrin upon me. ar cTT e-.
ayes, sir" ,~~-+
left the court room and went to the
prosecuting attofhey and asked, him foI
the letts4s4 had handed him-the ones that
had been stolen from the mail bag He
gave them to nde, and having selected one
l retuFned the rest and told him | would
see he had the one kept before night.
then returned TO the court room, and the
case went on.
Mrs, Naseby resumed her testimony
She said she intrusted the room to the
prisoners care, and ,th2t no one else had
access there. save herself. Then she de
scribed aboit missing the money, and
clesed-by7teAihg how she found twenty.
fiUs s.d0llafsLOf The missing money in the
prisoners trunk. She could swear it was
the identical money she had lost, in two
tens and Ie five dollar bauk notes.
Mrs Naseby," said 1, when you frs
missed the money, had you any reason tC
believe pt the prisoner had taken it?'
T'Sslye, siF y she ,a9swered e. $500. -
NItM YOU eyer tffors detected her il
any dishonesty p - "a
'si"No, Sir.p -i.art.' ',r.'a1'r .....
Should you have thought of searching
her trunk hal not Nancy Luther advised
Satiafdrhtsdyopf9 Ta3Hz ,3E3Ll
No, sir."
o. ,Mrs. Naseby left the stand and Napcy
Luther took her place She came up Will
bold look, and upon me she cast q dehan
look, as if to'Rg, Trap me if you can.
She gave her evidence as follows;
q ihs pG pr5asr 2s5ae .hs goSs %SR4
stalls, and from Hhe sly manner in whicl
she went up she suspected all was no
right, SO. she Flowed her UP. Eliza
beth weHts,to Mrs, Naseby's room and shu
the, door after her,l | stopped down AM
looked through the keyhole, and saw he
take tho money and putit in her pocket
Then she. stopped down and picked up tn
lamp, AID as T sitw she was coming up
hurried away.
'Than She went on, told how she had in
formed her mistress of this, and how sh
I proposed TO search the girls trunk.
~ o. called Mrs. Naseby 70 tho stand.
~ q" You said that no one, save yourself an
dthe prisoner had access to your room,
said, ",Now, could Nancy Luther have en-
tered the room if she wishedy'
80 30. T%Gegtaipy, sirs Imeaut that no one els
had any right thereS
'.s,I / saw that Mrs. Naseby, though natural
hard woman, was somewhat moved b
epo6F hzaBethh y misery Il tn 1870
d. aS, Could your cook have known, by an
means in your knowledge, where you
money wAsss nsIor s.i = 9'ae1a rl,
Do 'l" Yes, sir; for she has often come to m
room while I was there and i have ofte
given her money to buy provisions {
market-men who happened 10 come slon
with their wagons" ..s,.b u. I.s. .,..
aOne more question; Have you know
.t 'of the prisoner having used any moat
since this was stolenT
,"No, sir" lg,g IA.
= ,.Inow called Nancy Luther back, al
sia began 20 tremble little, though h
look was as bold and defiant as ever.
"Miss Luther" | said, "why did yc