The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-11-06

Ahe piisoueI Will sIduu up COu-
tinued his Honor.
Annie advanced firmly to the front,
and evidently wondered what was COM
ing next.
"What tsay you, guilty or not guilty ?"
The question rang out sharp and keen
upon the still atmosphere. Every spec
tator held his breath. The suppressed
excitement was painfully acute.
"Guilty of what ?" queried the de-
fendant, flashing her eyes inqusitively
upon the Court.
SIS it possible that you do not know
whereof you are accused ?''
az have never been asked that ques-
tion before by any one in authority,
your Honor, and certainly have not been
rendered the information voluntarily"
The Clerk was directed to read the in
dictment with the main points of which
the reader is already acquainted.
Annie stood with her lips half open and
her finger up, listening intently, while
the color came and went upon her
cheeks, sometimes giving her features a
roseate glow, and again leaving them
blanched, white as marble.
Near her sat Melvin Hastings, livid
with suppressed rage, but with his eyes
betraying unutterable tenderness.
Henry Lee and uncle John Ainslee sat
little apart, breathing heavily and
oblivious to everything but the scene
before them.
"Where are my accusers ?" demanded
Annie, in tone of injured dignity.
A solemn hush brooded over the place,
and the great auditorium, filled to re-
| pletion with the usually idle and curious,
but now deeply interested throng of
hangers-on, was as still as a sepulcher.
"Have you employed counsel?" asked
his Honor, kindly.
81 have, sir"
"Will you send for your attorney ?"
"Sir," and the petite figure rose to its
fullest height, 81 have the honor to pre-
sent myself"
The worthy Judge was puzzled. It
was utterly at variance with all prece-
dent for any woman TO be her own law
yer but it was difficult to look the de-
fendant in the face and say so.
"You had better employ counsel,
Miss Lee" he said evasively. "You
surely do not wish to throw away your
chances for honorable acquittal."
'I do not, indeed, sir" was the calm
reply, "but propose to defend this case
myself"
"Are you regularly accredited at
tOrney at law ?"
mo, sir.n
''Then, 1 am sorry to say, we cannot
allow you to defend your own case.
will appoint Henry Lee, Esq, to con-
duct the defense for you"
81 humbly protest, your Honor"
The Judges gavel came down peremp-
torily. "The rules must be obeyed," he
said, with a sigh of relief, as much as to
say, "thank God for opportunity Of ex-
cuse to shift this responsibility upon the
shoulders of the law"
The dapper little attorney, who prose
cuted the case in behalf Of the State, or
dered his principal witness to be called,
and was yisibly surprised when the an
swer came that Robert Green, Esq, was
nowhere to be foand.
Much annoying delay followed this
announcement, but there being no evil
dence beyond the declarations set forth
in the original indictment, the prosecu.
tion rested and the case was dismissed
for want of evidence.
'If your Honor pleases, should like
to say few words" said Annie, rising
to her feet and trembling as if convulset
with ague.
ave will suspend our usual rules anC
allow you to say them," was the grav,
reply, while every head bent forwarC
and every ear-was Oh the alert TO let NJ
word pass unnoted.
The girl stepped majestieally forward
her trimmings of rose color imparting {
beautiful tinge to cheeks yet stamped
! with the ravages of recent fever, her voic'
r tremulous with emotion, her eyes fash
ing fire and her fine teeth peeping from
, behind her fever-parched lips, looking
the very picture of recent resurrection
from the jaws of death.
"May it please the Court" she salt
calmly, 'I was busy In my store tw'
: months ago to-day, engaged in waiting
r upon o crowd of customers. A magis
trate, whom 1 had never known, sud
denly entered my place Of business
r armed with legal power to carry out hi
, plans; and I, withouta a moments warn
ing, was dragged OF to Jail like common
. malefactor. The specious system Of pro
lection which man claims that he mete
D out to woman has proved, in my case
D and many others, a lamentable failure
e For two months 1 have been kept ava,
: from my business, disgraced by my i'm
prisonment, injured in my finances, an
b almost destroyed bodily. Now, wha
e redress have I.for all this2 Who pay
s damages, under the law, to women wh
are thus wronged? The man at who's
: instigationI was thus outraged in NJ
: inalienable rights, had planned thi
a thing for years. But, I repeat, wha
e redress have L? What redress has an
y woman for such a wrong? What woma
o is safe from the evil Vaccinations {
some designing man? Suppose nov
. that my enemy had not been detected
other villainies that caused his sudde
: fight-you see am not as ignorant
4 his intrigues as many Of you are-suI
!, pose that his deep-laid plot had prove