The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1877-05-26

Can't mother"
But, Dan | can't afford to give much
more money for the acids you want"
"Ahn said Dan. He shook his head
once more, and looked very detected.
He was at his wits end. He believed
he was on the very verge of an important
discovery. He only wanted little more
time and a little more money. Where
should the money come from?
This was trying question. He could
not imagine that any one would ever
lend him enough cash to carry out his
projects, and he did not seem to think of
any way to earn sufficient sum. He
went up to his eden" and sat down in
the midst of his bottles and rubbish,
feeling uncommonly blue. There was
his camera upon its three long legs, with
its black muffier drawn carefully over it,
and with its brass nose pointed out into
| the cold air.
The boys thoughts pointed the same
way. He must 90 out into the cold and
| find something to do, or some day he
might have to stay out in the cold. He
descended into the street, and wandered
about the town, moody and distressed.
| About this time a trial was in progress
at the court. A man was charged with
passing forged check at the bank. The
teller who paid the money fully identi-
fed the prisoner, described his move
ments, and related what was said between
| them at the time with the greatest min
uteness.
On the other hand, the accused indig-
nantly denied the charge, and protested
that he was not in or near the bank at
| the time alleged, but in the office of
| friend on B street. He remembered his
whereabouts, for his arrest was not so
long after the presentation of the check
! but that all his movements on that day
remained distinctly in his mind From
| the first he had continued to assert his
innocence, and declared the teller had
mistaken him for some other man.
Unfortunately for him, he was OBJ
| liged to admit that he was alone in his
| friends office at the hour in question,
and he failed to produce any witness be-
sides himself to prove definitely where
he was, though he had made every effort
to do 50. 1t was question of veracity,
man against man. but the clear and very
positive statement of the teller against
the accused, and the possibility of some
motive presumed to exist in the mans
financial circumstances, had decided the
directors, considering the interest at
stake, to hold him to answer at the next
session of the court. And now the day
of his trial had come
Everybody was extremely interested
in his trial, for the prisoner was well
known in the town, and had always been
supposed to be honest. The anxiety was
intense to know whether he would really
be proved criminal.
The case seemed to be going against
| the accused, for one or two other people
had been summoned, who testified that
''to the best of their knowledge and be-
| lief" they had seen this man in or about
the bank at one o'clock on the day when
| the check was passed.
The prisoner sat in the courtroom,
pale, but with certain fearless firmness
on his features that scarcely seemed like
guilt
All the known evidence was in, and to
the last, save the statements of few
friends as to his previous good character,
nothing in his behalf beyond his own
unsupported word had been brought for
ward.
The prosecuting attorney rose and
formally recounted the strong points in
the case, dwelling especially on the fail
ure OF the prisoner to prove an abb, 4. G.,
to show to the satisfaction of the court
that he was elsewhere than in the bank
at the moment Of the crime, when sud-
| denly, to the unspeakable establishment
OF all present, queer voice from a dis
tant part of the room exclaimed
But | can tell where he was"
Everybody turned to look at the speak
er, who was none other than our friend
Dan. He stood with his mouth wide
open, clutching his cap with one hand,
and with the other nervously poking his
tousled hair, Everybody laughed.
Silence" roared the crier, in a fierce
tone, and then assuming that the boy in
tended to make sport, he ordered him to
sit down.
t No." drawled Dan, II guess won't"
OF course that set the crowd into
still louder uproar of laughter. The
crler made an attempt to get at the boy.
Stop cried the judge, in a voice
that was heard in all parts of the room.
As soon as silence was obtained. he
turned towards Dan, who was still stand
ing
Young man, do you know anything
about this case?"
Yes, sir, replied Dan, slowly. 81
know"
| don't want to know that yet" in
terrupted the judge. Come this way"
The shrewd magistrate knew the young
ster well enough to surmise that he
would neither care nor dare to be fooling
at such time.
Dan, all stained and spotted, picked
his way out of the crowd and walked
forward to the bench. A curious specta-
Gle he was, with his uncouth form and