The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1894-11-20
WEAVING THE WEB.

In the springof 184S I was called to
jackson to attend court, having been
engaged to defend young man who
i had been accused of robbing the
mail. | had long conference with
my client, and he acknowledged to me
that on the night when the mail was
robbed he had been with party of
dissipated companions over at Top
ham. and that ON returning they met
the mail carrier on horseback coming
from jackson. Some of his compan-
ions were very drunk, and they pro-
posed to stop the carrier and over
haul his bag. The roads were very
muddy at the time, and the coach
could not run
My client assured me that he not
only had no hand in robbing the mail,
but he tried to dissuade his compan-
ions from doing so. But they would
not listen to him. One of them Slip
ped up behind the carrier and knock
ed him from his horse. Then they
bound and blindfolded him, and hav-
ing tied him to tree they took his
mailbag and made off into a neighbor-
ing field, where they overhauled it,
finding some $500 in money in the va
1ious letters. He went with them, but
in no way did he have any hand in
the crime. Those who did it had fed,
and as the carrier had recognized
him as in the party he had been ar
rested.
The mailbag had been found, as
well as the letters. Those letters
from which money had been taken
were kept, by order of the officers,
and duplicates sent to the various
persons to whom they were directed
announcing the particulars. These
letters had been given me for exam
ination, and had returned them to
the prosecuting attorney.
got through with my private pre-
liminaries about noon, and as the
case would not come up before the
next day went into the court in the
afternoon to see what was going on.
The first case which came up was one
of theft, and the prisoner was a young
girl, not more than IL years of age,
named Elizabeth Madworth. She was
very pretty and bore that mild, inno-
cent look which we seldom find in a
culprit.
The complaint against her set forth
that she had stolen 500 from Mrs.
Naseby, and as the case went ON
found that this Mrs. Naseby was
her mistress, >she (Mrs. NJ being
wealthy widow living in the town.
The poor girl declared her innocence
in the widest terms and called ON
God to witness that she would rather
die than steal. But circumstances
were hard against her. A hundred
dollars in bank notes had been stolen
from her mistress room, and she was
the only one who had access there.
At this juncture, while the mistress
was upon the witness stand, young
man came and caught me by the arm.
''They tell me you are good law
yerl" he whispered. Il
Il am a lawyer" answered.
"Then-oh--sav her! You can
certainly do it, for she is innocent"
HAS she no counsel?" i asked.
None that's good for anything
nobody thatll do anything for her.
Oh, save her, and I'll pay you all I've
got. can't pay you much but lean
raise you something"
| reflected for a moment. l cast
my eyes toward the prisoner, and she
was at that moment looking at me.
She caught my eye, and the volume
of humble, prayerful entreaty l read
in those laIge, fearful orbs resolved
me in a moment. / arose and went
to the girl and asked her if she wished
me to defend her. She said, Yes"
Then informed the court that / was
ready to enter into the case, and
was admitted at once.
/ asked for a moments cessation,
that might speak with my client. l
went and sat down by her side and
asked her to state to me candidly the
whole case. She told me she had
lived with Mrs. Naseby nearly two
years and that during all that time
she had never had any trouble be-
fore. About two weeks ago, she said,
her mistress lost 500.
''She missed it from her drawer"
the girl told me, "and she asked me
about it, but knew nothing of it.
The next thing l knew Nancy Luther
told Mrs. Naseby that she saw mo
take the money from her drawer