“She had for several years attended to the sewing and mending at Elm Bluff, being summoned there whenever her services were required.  On the afternoon previous to General Darrington’s death she was sitting at her needlework in the hall of the second story of his house.  As the day was very hot, she had opened the door leading out to an iron balcony, which projected just over the front hall door downstairs; and since the piazza was open from the roof to the floor, she had peeped over, and seen the prisoner when she arrived and had watched her while she sat on the steps, waiting to be admitted.  After the accused had been inside the house some time, she (witness) recollected that she had seen a hole in one of the lace curtains in the library downstairs, and thought this would be such a nice time to darn it.  The library was opposite the drawing room, and adjoined General Darrington’s bed-room.  The door was open and witness heard what she supposed was a quarrel, as General Darrington’s voice was loud and violent; and she distinctly heard him say:  ’My will is so strong, no contest can touch it! and it will stand forever between your mother and my property.’  Soon after, General Darrington had slammed the door, and though she heard loud tones for some time, she could not make out the words.  The impression left on witness’s mind was that the prisoner was very impudent to the old gentleman; and not long afterward she saw accused standing in the rose garden, pretending to gather some flowers, but really looking up and down at the front windows.  Witness knew the prisoner saw the vault where the General kept his papers, because she heard it opened while she was in the bed-room.  The door of the vault or safe did not open on hinges, but was iron, and slid on a metal rod, which made a very peculiar squeaking sound.  When she heard the noise she thought that General Darrington was so enraged that he got the will to show prisoner it was all fixed forever, against her and her mother.”

When Miss Dobbs sat down, a lame man, disfigured by a scar on his cheek, learned upon a stick and testified: 

“My name is Belshazzar Tatem.  Was an orderly sergeant attached to General Darrington’s staff dtiring the war; but since that time have been a florist and gardener, and am employed to trim hedges and vines, and transplant flowers at Elm Bluff.”  On the afternoon of the prisoner’s visit there, he was resetting violet roots on a border under the western veranda, upon which opened the glass door leading out from the General’s bed-room.  He had heard an angry altercation carried on between General Darrington and some one, and supposed he was scolding one of the servants.  He went to a shed in the barn yard to get a spade he needed, and when he came back he saw the prisoner walk down the steps, and thought it singular a stranger should leave the house that way.  Wondered whom she could be, and wondered also that the General had quarrelled with such a splendid