The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-03-01
EVIDENCE.


NrIAL EVIDENCE.
Several lawyers were sitting in court
room waiting for "his honor to come.
so that the court would open and they
could proceed with business. TO amuse
themselves they were "spinning yarns, "
and, rs might be expected, every story
was of some incident of the law.
"Judge Holmes, it is your turn"
said young attorney, addressing an
old man who had been silent listener
to what the others had related.
Judge Holmes brought his chair for
ward nearly to the centre Of the group,
seated himself, and said:
II suppose, gentleman, that I might
tell you Something"
81 do not doubt but what it would be
interesting, and am for one anxious to
hear," SAID an attorney who had much
respect for the old Judge.
eyes! go Oh Judge; tell us the queer
est exper ence you ever had," said
another.
well, gentlemen. will tell you how
[ came to lose faith in circumstantial
evidence" said the Judge. "It was
when was upon the northern circuit,
the first year that was Judge. That
WAS good manly years ago, when the
country was new. The judge then had
to go from one court house to another
on horseback. There were no railroads
thon. l tell You there has been great
change in, THIS country. Well, I am
getting of from the subject. was
t" hold the November term in PLAIN
Vile; the court house was an immense
log cabin; behind 1t WAS IL log barn made
on purpose for the judge to keep his
horse III. After a long, tiresome ride. L
arrived Mt Plalnvllle. L noticed very
large crowd of people around the court
house, and wondered what it meant.
Whlle 1 was caring for my horse four
or five OF the citizens, too, of the place,
came into the BAN.
"dood morning, Judge" said one who
had appeared to be the spokes man of
the party.
"Good morning, sir" I replied.
''l'ine day. Judge"
"Yes, sir, very tine."
SCOT much to do in conrt9"
81 do not know"
"You have got ono queer cnse, and
bad one, too"
'Is that SOP
"Yes--a MURDER"
81 am sorry"
''It is bad, Judge, and n woman.
too"
"a woman murdered?"
"No, no; q woman did the murder
ing."
THAT is bad; am very sorry to hear
that any woman should be accused of
murder"
"Its awful, Judge. She is guilty,
and that makes it worse"
elias she been tried?"
'No, she amt tried; you've got to
try her, and what we want is this: don't
let up on her bit; you just sentence
her, and We'll be glad to do the hang
ing"
"But suppose that she is not guilty.
you don't want her hung in that case,
do you2"
''But she is guslty. She bought poi
son, and give 1t to her man. And did
we not find his body in the river, and
the poison in his body?'
"And did not she and her husband
have big quarrel, and she mako awful
threats to HIM the night before he was
found dead? There Is no question about
the guilt. Judge"
elias she been indicted?"
eyes, at the last court; she was
indicted and we would have lynched
her; yes, Sir, we came near stringing her
up"
"We must give her fair trial before
we hang her." remarked.
eve don't object to that. Everybody
says that she is guilty; and she is guilty,
and must be hung, that's oil there IS to
it, Judge"
concluded that it was not wise to
continue the conversation any further
went into the court room and took :ay
seat on tho bench. + had hard time
to got into the court room, the crowd of
people was go dense. AS I paeaed
through among them, l received many
gratuitons admonitions like this: "Give
her what she deserves, Judge" I saw
that the popular feeling was against the
woman, and too, began to think that
the people, for they were good people,
were right.
After the preliminary business of the