The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-01-29

1t occurred to Mr.. Lincoln to test the
truth of this statement by the almanac.
Turning to the clerk, he requested that
one be handed to him, but it was not
readily found. Old almanacs are not gen.
orally considered of sufficient value in \
court of justice to call for their preserva-
tion, so one was not to be obtained until a
messenger had visited neighboring sta
tionery and book establishment when the
volume was obtained and handed to the
clerk of the court, with instructions to de-
liver it to Mr.. Lincoln when wanted.
In due time Mr.. Lincoln rose to make
the closing argument for the defense. 1t
is said by those who listened to the address,
that the like of it was never before heard
by the bar of Beardstown.
lie began by describing his early strug-
giles with poverty, how he had been a
friendless, homeless wanderer, until the
parents of the accused opened to him their
door, aud henceforth had been to him all
that father and mother could ever expect
to be. Their generosity had never been
forgotten, and now that befIiended boy
stood before them TO plead for the life of
his benefactor's son-the babe that he had
fondled so often in the days of his unques-
toned innocence. He drew a touching
picture Of the widowed mother following 9
with trembling, bleeding heart every step
in the terrible inqusition, bending her ear
to every word, and watching with mex
presslble anxiety and dread the faces of
the jury-now seeing ray of hoTe III the
softened expression, or despair and death
in the cold, hard lines which might some>
times cross the features af the peTplcxed
and patient men who he'd the issues Of
,'isa and death, and could send her from
hat room aiifsesSsss. ssss 1.2Dssas a:sld ohIdless
ar fill 10 the btim the measure of her JOY.
Having warmed Up v it.s ,his exogGiunl,
he took up the theory of the prosecution,
and with some iogio, much sophistry and
unstinted r;dicule, he made it appear pre-
posterous, if not impossible.
The testimony was then attacked. Each
individual statement aualyzcd, discrepen-
cies pointed out, and inconsistencies
posed, and the fact clearly brought out
that but one witness had sworn to having
elcDen o'clock at night Of certain dag tie
moon being very bright, nearly at the JuU,
and about as high in the heavens as the
sun is at ten o'clock in the morning.
Mir. Lincoln then called upon the clerk
for the almanac. opened it and proceeded
to show that on the day and at the hour
mentioned there ,ods no moon at all, 10 hGU-
s.n,r <f MT min a. hot
the affray took place.
The result of this exposure was like the
bursting of bomb~hell. The mastery
eloquence of the plea had already enlisted
their sympathies, and the jury had already
been seeking some preteXt for an acquit-
tai, when this exposure of the bodcst per-
jury filled the court, judge aud jury with
Indignation, demoralized the prosecution,
incensed the spectators, and in the tumult
and excitement the case was abruptly closed
a verdict Of mot guilty. almost instantly
rendered, and the prisoner walked out of
the dock free man.
But the most curious part of this story
is yet to be told. Some DAYS after the ac-
quittal it was discovered that the almanac
WHICH had Deen glVef 10 Mr Lincoln TO
read from was not for the year Of the MUIR
der at all 1t was further shown that at
the time mentioned by the witness, the
moon was in substantially the position he
described but the mischief had been
done, and the verdict could not be recalled.
How the almanac came to be handed to
Mr.. Lincoln has never been satisfactorally
explained. That it was accidental, there
is no doubt, and i'll the excitement no one
thought to call the accuracy of the volume
in question until too late.