The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-06-12
A WIFES DEVOTION,

MS court at Forsyth. Monroe county CO
two brothers, residents OF GwiIl.cit
comfy, were brought before him charged
with horSe-stealing
The cslsse against the men was plain in
deed The old man from whom the horsa
WAS stolen and his wife and daughter were
introduced, and each in turn on the stand
swore strong and stIikingly alike as to
the theft, the Identity of the horse and
both men.
Absolutely nothing In rebuttal could be
produced by the counsel for the defense
except the testimony of a woman, the
young wife Of one of the prisoners and
the daughter OF the old man from whom
tho horse was stolen. Her story, AS told
by the attorney, was strange and un-
reasonable that he begged she would not
go TO the stand with it, fearing its effect
upon both judge and jury. To tho
pleading Of the lawyer she turned deaf
ear, and rising without being bid, said
aloud: My innocent husbands liberty
is at stake. must, will speak for him. /"
Judge $, who up to this time had not
noticed the woman, now owing to the
manner of speech and seemingly intense
sympathy and love for her husband called
her to the stand, ruling that "she could
testify in behalf of her husband's s brot her
and make a statement for the husband" "
The bible was handed her and she kissed
1t with a smack that might have been
heard block away Then trernbIingly
removing from her head its old shaker
covering, and very carefully unwindina
a much-worn and tattered Gwinnett red
shawl which she held in her arms. she ex-
posed to the view OF n greatly surprised
audience two-months' old baby boy. who
was hid away somewhere I'm the folds OF
that huge shawl The unwinding process
completed. she hurriedly deposited both
baby and covering In n heap on the table in
front OF her, and with degree Of ieterrni-
nation in her face expressed only ia the
lines OF ShRkespere, 1" | shall remember
WHOM Cesar says do this, 1t is performed -
she fronted the jury. Said she; "I 4Ea<e
sworn TO tell the truth. | understand
fully the enornity and mcannezs Of n lie
am a God-fearing woman, and I believe
every word In that good book there on the
table, and if what l tell you now iaassrt
this case he not true may God IN hIs
wrath this moment strike me dumb Gro I
utter another word, and make me suffer
the most violent death that could befail a
human! May / turn from this stand
when have finished and look upon that
bnby-mine, my only one, whom / love
next TO my husband. better than my life
and find 1t 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 al
ways been very hard with Tom (mv hus-
band and !, but Tom now persuaded me
to go, saying it was my father who was
sick, and it was my duty to 90 TO him |
went aud remained two months or more
until be recovered. While ut my fathers
hac crlp do-z . -. -
neigh borhood, aud after awhile a colt be
longing to my father caught the disease
consultation OF the family was held,
and II was tiuRlly decided to Kill the colt
hoping thereby TO prevent the remainder
of the horses on the farm from catching
it.
Il pleaded for the colts life, and told
my father to put It by itself. away from
the other horses, and I would feed and
try to cure II. He did as I asked and I
nursed the colt back to health. When
was leaving home, going back to my hus-
band, my father told me, in presence OF
both my mother and sister rs I Ind saved
the colts life he would give it to me sud
wonld keep it for me. as be had good pas
turage, until 1t grew large enough to
work. Here the matter rested, and /
Thought no more of II until two weeks
ago, when | received a letter from my
father, stating that the cold was ready to
work, but my mother and sister were un-
willing for me to have it. He said he
thought 1t hest for me to send my bus
DhIlu ana MS DrntncT HfEer Lng colt. telling
them to take it from the pasture and not
TO let my mother aud sister know about
Owing 10 our extreme poverty and
need OF n horse. Tom decided to do as my
father bid, and last Thursday night
week ago he and his brother reached Our
home In Gwinnett with the colt now
grown to be a horse. the same that |
nursed through the glanders' at my ia
ther's two years ago. the same that my
father then gave me In presence Of my
mother and sisters. 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 il, ," she said. and
dropping her head. which. through the
recital of her story, had been as erect as
the g proudest steed of the prairie" she
slowly left the stand. "T'he letter" of
course, was asked for, but could not be
produced The woman said she had lost
The jury were ont only few mo
ments, returning verdict OF guilty, and
the meH were sentenced to ten years in
the penitentiary. As the last words OF
the sentence were uttered by the judge
the wife Sprang to her feet, and facing her
father and young sister, from her lips fell
such a curse 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 70 kiss. Then to
the judge she said " / 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 on next Gay 10 DeRln
their servitude, and soon the scene in the
court room, the sad face of the wife, the
baby, red shawl and all were forgot
ten.
Several weeks later a woman entered
the judges office in Forsyth, her face
flushed with excitemens and beRminR
with joy. IL was the wife Of the man
convicted Of horse sterling. She had
found 1.-The letter" and had walked with
her baby in her arms all the long way
from Gwlnnett to Monroe to bring it to
the Judge Judge s., after closely eX-
amining the document, was satisfied 1t
was genuine and took Immediate stems to
secure more evidence In the matter. This
was easily accomplished and the father Of
the woman, on being confronted with the
evidence procured by the judge, finally ad
mitted that he had written the letter
The next tRain to Atalanta brought Judge
s. with it. and no time was lost in sub
mittinR the matter to the governor, who
Instantly issued = pardon for the two
men.
Only q few short years have passed
since this occurrence, but time enough
has intervened for the wife's prayers to be
answered time enough for the persons
who swore away her husbands good
nnme and liberty TO have reaped an over
whelming cup Of misery, degradation,
and shame.
Forest Planting.