Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1870-12-15
The Criminal Witness.

LII JHC Spl luS VI lOil was CuilCu "
Jackson, Alabama, to attend court, hav
ing been engaged to defend young mar
who had been accused of robbing the
mail. l arrived early in the morning
and Immediately had a long conference
with my client. The stolen mailbag
had been recovered, as well as the let.
ters from which the money had beer
rihed These letters were given me fol
my examination, and | returned them tc
the prosecuting attorney.
Having got through my preliminarics
abous noon, and as the case would moi
come off before the next day, went into
court in thelafternoon 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 sci,
dom find in q culprit, She had been
weeping profusely, but, as she found SC
many eyes upon her, she became too
frightened to weep more.
The complaint against her set forth
that she had stolen 500 from a Mrs.
Naseby, and as the case went | found
that Mrs. Naseby, a wealthy widow, liv-
ing in town, was the girls mistress. The
poor girl declared her innocence in the
widest terms, but circumstances were
hard against her. A hundred dollars
in bank notes had been stolen from her
mistress's room, and she was the only
one that had access there.
AT this juncture, when the witness
was upon the stand, young man came
and caught me by the arm. He was a
fine looking man, and big tears stood in
his eyes.
"They tell me you are good lawyer, .
he whispered.
II am lawyer" 1 answered.
''Then do save her. You certainly
can do it, for she is innocent"
SIS she your sister,"
"No, sir" he added, "but-but--"
Here he hesitated
"Has she no COUNSEL" | asked.
"None that's good for anything-no-
body thatlI do anything for her. O,
save her; and I'll give you all I've got.
| cant give you much, but l can raise
something"
| reflected moment. cast my eyes
toward the prisoner, and she was at that
moment looking at me. She caught my
eye, and the volume of entreaty read
id her glance resolved me in a ruoment.
| arose and went to the girl, and asked
if she wished Inc to defend her. She
said yes then informed the Court
that | was ready to enter into the case
and was admitted at once. The loud
murmur Of satisfaction that ran quick Y
through the room told me where the
sympathies of the people were. | 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
that she had lived with Mrs. Nascby
nearly two years, and never had any
trouble before. About two weeks ago,
she said, her mistress lost 500.
"She missed it fom her drawer,' the
girl said to me, "and asked me about it.
| said | knew nothing about it, That
evening, l know Nancy Luther told
Mrs. Naseby that she saw me take the
money from the drawer-that she
watched me through the keywhole.
Then they went to my trunk and found
$25 of the missing money there. But,
sir, I never took it-somebody must
have put it there"
1 then asked her if she suspected any
one.
"[ don't know" she 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 the charabermaid."
She pointed Nancy Luther out to me,
She was a stout, bold-faced girl, some
where about five and twenty years old,
with a lovy forehead, small gray eyes, a
pug nose and thick lips. caught her
glance at once, as it rested on the fair
young prisoner, and the moment de
tected the look of hatred which | read
there, was convinced that she was the
rogue.
"1Nancy Luther did you say that girls
name WASP asked, for a new light had
broken in upon me.
eyes, sir"
left the court room and went to- the
prosecuting attorney aud asked him fol
the letters had handed him-the ues
that had been stolen from the mail-ba G.
He gave them to me, and, having selecte 4
one, | returned the rest, and told him 1
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 that no one else had