The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-02-02
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A CRIMINAL wITFESS.

Jackson, Alabama, to attend court, hav-
ing been engaged to defend a young man
who had been accused Of robbing the mail.
arrived early in the morning and imme-
diately had long conference with my eli
ent The stolen mail bag had been recov-
cred, as well as the letters from which the
money had been rifed. These letters
were given me for examination, and l re-
turned them to the prosecuting attorney.
Having got through my preliminaries
about noon, and as the case would not
come off before the next day went into
court in the afternoon to see what was go
ing 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 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 upon her, she be-
came too frightened to weep more
The complaint against her set forth that
she had stolen hundred dollars from
Mrs. Naseby, and as the case went on l
found that Mrs. Naseby, wealthy widow
living in the town, was the girls mistress.
The poor girl declared her innocence in
the widest terms, but circumstances were
bank notes had been stolen from her mis-
tress'sroom, and she was the only one
that had access there. At this luncture,
when the mistress was upon the witness
stand, young man came and caught me
by the arm He was fine looking man,
and big tears stood in his eyes
They tell me you are good lawyer.
he whispered. .-.
1 am lawyer, l answered.
Then do save herl You certainly can
do it, for she is innocent
Is she your sisterY RI.
No, sir he added, 'but-but-'
Here he hesltated. = =
Has she no counselP 1 asked. ...--
None that's good for ranything-nobody
that'll do anything for her. o, save her ;
and I'll give yeu all I've got. I can't
give you much, but can raise you some
thing @ -
reflected moment. cast my eyes
toward the prisoner, and she at that mo-
ment looked. at me. She caught my eve,
and the volume of entreaties I read in her
| glance resolved me in a moment. I arose
and went to the girl, asked if she wished
me to defend her. She said yes. 1 then
informed the court that I was ready to en-
ter the case, and was admitted at once
The loud murmur of satisfaction that ran
quickly through the room told me where
the sympathies of the people WERE I then
| asked for moments cessation that I
might speak to my client. went and sat
down by her side, and asked her to state
candldly the whole case. She told me she
had lived with Mrs. Naseby nearly two
| years, and 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 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 through the
keyhole. Then they went to my trunk
and found twenty-tiv dollars of the mis-
sing money there But, sir, never took
1t, and somebody must have put it there y
then asked. her if she suspected any
one.
i don't know, she said, who could have
done 1t but Nancy She has never liked
me because she thought was better trea-
ted than she. She is the cook. I was
the chambermaid'
She pointed Nancy Luther out to me
She was stout, bold-faced girl, some
where about five and twenty years old
with low forehead, small, gray eyes, a
pug nose and thick lips. 1 caught heI
| glance at once, as 1t rested on the fan
young prisoner, and the moment I detect.
ed the look of hatred which l read there
l was convinced that she was the rogue
Nancy Luther did you say that girls
name WASP asked, for new light hac
broken IN upon me-
... Yes sir ... .1 ....
1 left the court room and went to the
prosecuting attorney, and asked him fol
the letters had handed him-the ones
that had been stolen from the mail bag
He gave them to me,and having selected
one returned the rest and told him that
l would see he had the one 1 kept before
night; then returned to the court room
and the case went on. -W
Mrs. Naseby resumed her testimony
:. She SAID she had entrusted the room to the
prisoners care, and that no one else hac
access there save herself. Then She de.
scrlbed about missing the money. anC
closed by telling how she found S25 of th(
missing money IN the prisoners trunk
She could swear it was the identical mon,
ey she had lost, in two tens and one iy,
dollar bank notes.
Mrs. Naseby,' said !, when you at frs
missed the money had you any reason t.
believe the prisoner had taken itY
No, sir, she answered.
Had you ever before detected her in any
dishonesty
No, Sir"
Should you have thought of searchin,
her trunk had not Nancy Luther advised
and informed you? g.
No, sir .r.-.
Mrs. Naseby left the stand and Name,
Luther took her place. She came up witt
bold look, and upon me she cast def
ant look, as if to say, Trap me if you can.
She gave her evidence as follows:
She said that on the night the none,
was taken she saw the prisoner going u
stairs, and from the sly manner in whicl
she went up-she suspected all was no
; night. So she followed her up. Eliza
beth went 20 Mrs. Naseby's room an.
shut the door after her. / stopped dow
! and looked through the keyhole, and say