The state journal., 1884-12-27
THAT HORRID CAMERA.
Startling Evidence in California Bre
of Promise suit

Startling Evidence in q California Breach
of Promise suit.
A San Francisco dispatch says: "a
breach of promise case is now pending
at Marysyille which exhibits some pc
culiar features. 1t seems the defendant,
young man named Augustus Scud-
berry, is member of that rapidly in
cressing class of persons known as anna
teur instantaneous photograph cranks.
This individual had become so en-
thused over the achievement of
European photographers in obtaining
negatives of birds flying, horses
running away, tigers seizing their
prey, &C.. that he made himself holy
nuisance prowling around after people
with his portable camera, electric slides,
and things. One day he would be found
ambushed beside the railway track and
fillinG- An tlsA srVitah h-tanders with -hAer-
good impression OF q nTst class smashup;
the next, he was trying to bribe some
dying mans family to allow him TO take
a snap shot at the patient just when the
death rattle set in. In fact, it is stated
that once, when some miners were having
a terrific quarrel in barroOm, Scudberry
suddenly appeared in the doorway with
his instrument over his head and ex
claimed excitedly;
"Wait until put on dry plate before
you shoot gentlemen !! Get your pistols
ready and fire together when say three;
| want to get in all the flashes.
Well, as we were going to say, this
same Scudberry was engaged to a girl
named Pliffey, and somehow had got the
T idea into his head that Amelia-her name
was Amelia, and she wore number tour
shoe, which is good for o Marysyille girl
was untrue to him; in fact, that she was
still encouraging the attentions OF dry
goods clerk named BOggs.
So Scudberry, having just received an
| automatic clockwork attachment to his
apparatus, carried his machine over to
| his fiance's house on pretense of taking
the pictures of the family. He took
Amelia's mother in the act OF spankln
the baby; he took the baby in the act OF
swallowing pin; took the cat In the act
| of catching a mouse, took dinner and
| then took his leave. ScudbeTry explained
that he was to be out of town that even
| ing, and asked that his camera be allowed
to stand in the corner of the parlor until
his return the next day
That night Boggs, the alleged rival,
called on Amelia and it is natural to sup
pose that they were both unaware that
the Photographic apparatus in the corner
the lens of which was adjusted so as to
rake the sofa fore and aft, so to speak
was automatically adjusted to take
an instantaneous negative at pre-
cisely 11;30 p. NJ, that being
the hour when the jealous Scudberry
sui posed the festivities would be in
progress, if at all, At all events, the
couple were starteld at about that period
by a peculiar click from Scudberry'
machine, and they understood bet
ter the next day when that gentleman in-
dignantly broke his engagement and ex-
hibited picture which he sarcasacally
labeled mo 461; Greco Roman Hug
ging Match.
Miss Plifey Immediately brought suit
for breach of promise, Boggs testifying
that he was only rehearsing a contem
plated tableau with the plaintiff. Mean
while Scudberry has filed the photograph
as evidence, and the whole town is wait
ing anxiously for the verdict. As soon
as it is rendered the whole story will be
carefully dramatized for the Baldwin a;
one of the most thrilling episodes OF llic
in the Far West.