River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-06-14

and related what was said between them
at the time with the greatest minuteness.
On the other hand, the accused indig-
nsntly denied the charge, and protested
thai &c was not in or near the bank at the
time alleged. but in the Office of friend
on b street He remembered his where
abOuts. for his arrest was not so long after
the presentation of the check but that all
his movements on that day remained dis
tinctly 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 obliged
to admit that he was alone in his friend 5
Office at the hour in question, and he
failed to produce any witness besides
himself to prove definitely where he
was. though he had made every effort to
do so. II was a question Ofveracity, man
against man, but the clear and positive
statement of the teller against the accused
and the possibility of some motive pre-
sumed to exist in the mans financial CIR
cumstanccs. had decided the directors,
considering the interest at stake, to hC.d
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 sup
posed 10 be honest. The anxiety was in
tense To know whether he would really
be proved a criminal.
The case seemed to he going agains the
accused. for one or two other people rad
been summoned. who testified that TO
the best Of their knowledge and belief,
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 a certain fearless firmness
on his features that scarcely seemed like
gull.
All the known evidence was in. and tn
the last, save the statements of few
friends as to his previous good character,
nothing in his behalf besides his own
unsupported word had been brought for
ward.
The prosecuting attorney rose and for
mally recouHtered the strong points in the
case, dwelling especially on the failure OF
the prisoner to prove an abb, J. C., To
show to the satisfaction of the court that
he was elsewhere than in the bank at the
moment of the crime, when suddenly 10
the unspeakable establishment of all PRES
ent, queer voice from distant 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.
" No. drawled Dan, " guess won't. "
of course that set the crowd into a still
louder uproar of laughter. The cricr 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 the silence was obtained, he
turned toward Dan. who was still stand
ing.
"YOung man. do you know anything
about this case!'
= Yes, sir" replied Dan, slowly. I"
know
Il don't want To know that vet" irter-
Tupted the Judge. Come this way" The
shrewd magistrate knew the youngster
we'll enough to surmise that he would
neither care nor dare to be fooling at
such TIME.
Dan, all stained and spotted. picked
his wav out of the crowd and walked for
ward to the bench A curious specta-
Gle he was, with his uncouth form and
dress, and his mass of white hair
The Judge leaned forward and said
something to him in very low tone. and
then Dan whispered back TO TIE Judge
Soon the people saw the Judge smile and
nod his head.
"Ah," said they one to another, " our
Dan has turned up something new. Its
Just like him.
Their surmises were turned to certainty
when the Judge announced, This young
man will produce important evidence fol-
the defence.
Dan made his way out of the court
room and disappeared. In ten minutes
he came back again breathless. He had
never been known to run before.
In his hand he held paper as large as
the cover of geography. This he handed
TO the judge. The judge looked at il
curiOusly Then at the paper again. In
a moment he looked up and said,-
CLERK. administer the oath to thi,
boy"
Dan was sworn.
l cannot repeat his testimony here, but
be sure it was olly-worded and disjoint
ed enough. 1t made everybody laugh
I even while it interested them profoundly
I The substance of il was that on the day
when the forged check was passed, h,
was taking photographs between TIA,
hours of 10 VI. and 3 T. VI. Among othel
pictures. he made one of man standing
/ in the window of building ON the oppo
site side of the street. The man tina
he photographed was the prisoner at the
I bar
\ Immediately there was a general buzz
in the court room. The prisoners pale
face flushed, and he gazed upon Dan will
a look of joyful gratitude.
But there was still an important question
/ to he settled. AT what time exactly wa
that photograph takenl"
Dan took the picture ana looked at i
I closely.
There's the clock on ST. Luke's church
up there in that corner" said he, pointin;
to the place, and handing the picture bacl
10 the Judge.
The Judge looked again, holding the pa
per up TO the light, and turning it CAREFUL,
round.
4" BY the dial here, &c said, IL was Just
/ o'clork az the instant when the pictur
was taken"
The jury and the counsel now examine
the photograph infinitely. 1t could no
he disputed. There was the idcntica
man. and there he was not in the bank q
the moment when the forged check wa
passed. .
The teller was once more placed upo
the stand. lie was confused by the cyi
dcnCe he hal heard, and was by no mean