“‘My husband is a railway engineer, and when he was able to work, we did not want for anything; but his health failed, and he was compelled to give up his situation; we did not suffer for food then until I fell ill. When we both lost our health, we were driven to the necessity of selling everything we had in order to buy provisions and medicines. Our condition continued to grow worse until we were driven to the very brink of starvation, when a beautiful angel visited our humble home, and furnished us everything necessary to make us comfortable. She continued to visit our house every day, supplying all our wants, and she engaged the services of a good, kind doctor, who came to see us often, and gave us his medicine and his kind attention. So long as that beautiful angel visited our home, my husband’s health continued to improve, because she not only furnished all the provisions and medicine that we needed, but she was such a kind, gentle nurse, that we all improved while she was with us; but they put the beautiful angel in jail, and she never came to visit us any more.’
“‘Edward, that was Viola,’ said Lottie, as she seized my arm and smiled through her tears; ‘Heaven bless that dear girl, do you think now she ever committed murder?’
“‘Before the great Creator, I declare she is not guilty!’
“Mrs. McCay paused a moment to wipe the tears away; while Flipout put the friction heavy on his nose.
“‘My father died,’ continued the witness, ‘leaving an estate of ten thousand dollars, and I, being his only child, was entitled to all the money, which (had I received it) would have placed us beyond the reach of want; but the money was paid into the hands of Mr. Anterson, the public administrator, who kept it and refused to pay it to me.’
“‘If the court please,’ said Mr. Quillet, ‘while I deeply sympathize with this unfortunate woman, I must insist that her statement cannot be admitted as evidence in this case.’
“‘I concur with my learned friend,’ said Colonel Buff, ‘and shall not insist on her statement as testimony unless she can tell us something directly bearing on the case.’
“Then, addressing the witness, Colonel Buff propounded the following question:
“‘Mrs. McCay, do you know anything about the slice of bacon that is alleged to have been stolen?’
“‘My husband brought home a small piece of bacon, telling me——’