The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-04-09
A WITE'S DEVOTION.
A TRUE STORY.
Correspondence Alanta Constitution.


ty, were brought before him charged wit
horse stealing.
The case against the two men was plai
indeed. The old man from whom th
horse was stolen with his wife and daugh
ter were introduced and each in thei
turn on the stand swore strong and strik
ingly alike as to the theft, the identity o
the horse and of both men.
Absolutely nothing in rebuttal coult
be produced by the counsel for the de
fense, except the testimony cf a woman
the young wife of one of the prisoners
and the daughter of the old man from
whom the horse was stolen. Her story
as told to her attorney, was so strang'
and unreasonable that he begged sht
would not go to the stand with it, fearing
its effect upon both judge and jury. TX
the pleading of the lawyer she turned {
deaf ear, and rising, without being bid
said aloud, "My innocent husbands lib
erty is at stake, must, I will speak fol
him." Judge S., who, up to this time
had not noticed the woman, now, owing
to her manner of speech and seemingly
intense sympathy and love for her hus
band, called her to the stand, ruling "she
could testify in behalf of her husbands
brother and make statement" for the
husband. The Bible was handed her,
and she kissed with smack that might
have been heard block away. Then
tremblingly removing from her head its
old shaker covering, and very carefully
unwinding much worn and tattered
Gwinnett red shawl which she held in
her arms, she exposed to the view of a
greatly surprised audience o two months
old baby boy who was hid away some.
where in the folds of that huge shawl.
The unwinding process completed, she
hurriedly deposited both baby and cover
ing in heap on the table in front of her,
and with a degree of determination in
her face, expressed only in the lines of
Shakespeare II shall remember when
Caesar says do this, it is performed" she
fronted the jury. Said she: 81 have
sworn to tell the truth. 1 understand
fully the enormity and meanness of q lie.
[ am a Godfearing woman, and believe
every word in that good book there on
tie table, and if what tell you now
about this case be not true. may God in
His wrath this moment strike me dumb
ere utter another word, and make me
suffer the most violent death that could
befall a human. May I turn from this
stand when i have flushed and look
upon that baby-mine-my only one,
whom love, next to my husband, better
than my life, and find it cold in death.
"Two years ago my father, who sits
over there, and now accuses my husband
of stealing his horse, sent to Gwinnett
County for me, insisting that should
come and nurse him through an attack
of rheumatism. He and my mother had
always been very hard with Tom (my
husband) and I, but Tom now persuaded
me to go, saying it was my father who
was sick and it was my duty to 60 to him.
[ went, and remained two months or
more until he recovered. While at my
fathers the 'glanders' got among the
stock in the neighborhood, and after
awhile q. colt belonging to my father
caught the disease. A consultation of
The family was held, and it was finally
decided to kill the colt, hoping thereby
to prevent the remainder Of the horses
on the farm from catching it.
II plead for the colts life and told my
father to put it to itself away from the
other horses and would feed and try to
cure it. He did as I asked and l nursed
the colt back to health. When | was
leaving home, going back to my husband,
my father told me in presence of both
my mother and sister, as l had saved the
colts life he would give it to me and
would keep it for me, as he had good
pasturage, until it grew large enough to
work. Here the matter rested, and l
thought no more of it until two weeks
ago, when I received letter from my
father, stating that the colt was ready for
work, but my mother and sister were un-
willing for me to have it. BE said, he
thought it best for me to send my hus-
band and his brother after the colt, tell.
ing them to take it from the pasture and
not to let my mother and sister know
about it.
"Owing to our extreme poverty and
need of a horse, Tom decided to do as my
father bid, and last Thursday night, a
week ago, he and his brother reached
our home in Gwinnett with the colt, now
grown to be horse. The same that /
nursed through the 'glanders' at my
fathers two years ago. The same that
my father then gave me in presence of
my mother and sister, now there by his
side, and the same, Judge, that my father
now says my husband stole from him:
This is all there is of it," she said, aud
dropping her head which, through the
recital Of her story, had been as erect as
the "prondest steed of the prairie," she
slowly left the "stand." "The letter." OF
course, was asked for, but could not be
produced. The woman said she had lost
it.
The Jury were "out" only a few mo.
ments, returning verdict of guilty, and
the mon were sentenced to ten years IN
the penitentiary. As the last words Of
the sentence we're uttered by the Judge,
the wife sprung to her feet and facing
her father and mother and young sister,
from her lips such a curse fell as filled
with horror all who heard it. Turning
next to her husband, she gave him q
long, last embrace, and held up the baby
for him TO kiss. Then to the Judge she
said, 81 will find the letter, sir, and bring
it to you," and with heart-broken look
but firm step, she passed through the
crowd to the street. The prisoners were
sent Of next day to begin their life Of
seryitude. And soon, the scene in the
court room, the sad face of the wife, the
baby, red shawl and all were forgotten
Several weeks later woman entered
the Judges Office in Forsyth, her face
flushed with excitement and beamine
with Joy. It was the wife of the mar
convicted of horse stealing. She hae
found "the letter." and had walked will
her baby in her arms all the long wa!
from Gwinnett to Monroe, to bring it t
the Judge. Judge s., after closely
examining the document, was satisfied i
was genuine. and took immediate step
to secure more evidence in the matter
This was easily accomplished, and thu