Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-11-25
From the German.
A TRIAL FOR PERJURY.

During the IaSJ session OF the Cr1m1
nal court in /, in the province OF
S., trial for perjury excited I'M
usual interest. The accused was an &C
complished young girl, who for some
years had been a governess in wealthy
family, and whose conduct had beer
above reproach.
She had been calledas witness in ar
ordinary civil suit, and had answered
in the negative the usual question as to
whether she had ever been punished fol
any criminal offense. By accident it
years previously, had been sentenced
to prison for thirty days for theft, and
consequently the charge of perjury
was brought against her. Less on &C
count of the false oath than of the theft
committed by beautiful and highly
cultured young lady, TIE courtroom,
on the day of the trial, was filled to re-
pletion. [ was unavodably hindered
from being present until the proceed
ings were nearly ended.
The counsel for tie prisoner had risen
to speak for his Client. He was a dig
nihed old gentlemen, and was usually
somewhat stiff, cold, and measured in
manner Of speaking; but to-day his voice
trembled. ana it was evident that he
was deeplv nOved-
ssGenaen IN of the jury" he began,
81 have stood here many times to de-
fsnd the accused, but never before with
SO heavy a heart as to-day. While [
have never been more fully convinced
of the innocence of my client, [ have, on
the other hand, never been more fully
conscious of the difficulty, of the impos-
sibility, perhaps, Of obtaining favor
able verdict.
The accused Is an orphan. By the
death Of her parents before she had
scarcely reached womanhood, she was
early compelled to seek her bread
among strangers. A liberal education
enabled her to obtain a situation as
governess. For two years she was in
the same house-always industrious,
simple LII her manners, and modest in
her retensions-without there ever
having been the shadow of a doubt with
regard to her honesty, when all at
once she was accused of theft, and ar
rested. She has assured me that she
was uniustly convicted. I have prac-
tised my profession for fifty years.
Long experience has made me insensi-
bile TO tears and plausible stories.
Here, gentlemen, there were no tears.
Her words were simple but Ito me- con-
vincing. The accused was not guilty
of the theft, and consequently she could,
with O. clear conscience, answer the
question with regard to having been
punished for any crime, as she did in
the negative, for she had not been pun
shed, but had been the victim of
great injustice
[ am, of course, not unmindful Of the
fact that my opinion can hardly be
taken into account. The defense is
compelled to admit that if judged solely
by the evidence, the charge has been
substantiated; but I beg, gentlemen,
that you will for a moment imagine
yourselves In place of the accused.
Again she had found situation; moth
ing was known of her having ever been
imprisoned; for some years she had dis
charged the duties of her position to
the entire satisfaction of her EMPLOYERS:
she had won the love and esteem of a
large and cultured circle. Now, I ask
you, gentlemen, could she, even had it
been true, make confession that would
have sent her friendless out into the
cold world? Would it not have re-
quired more than human strength to
have made such confession? Can you
not imagine. gentlemen, that what she
suffered when she asked, "Haye you
ever been punished for any criminal
otfense % was sufficient to rob her, for
moment at least, of her reason?
The unusuaIness Of the case will ex-
cuse nee, | trust, for calling your atten-
ton to the severe punishment that must
follow your verdict of Guilty Shall
a young girl who, on single occasion
and, gentlemen, in this instance, even
that is not the case here-has commit
ted fault, for which she has fully
atoned by long years of irreproachable
conduct, be brought together for a |
time, long or-short, with the dregs of
society? Never-gentleme
Till now her soul has been pure and I'M
sullied. Were she to serve a term in
the penitentiary, what would she be
then? Who will assume the RESPONSE
bility of sending her there