Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-03-05
THAT H0RRKD CAMERA.
Startling. but Very Clear Evidence in q
California Breach OF Promise Case.

From the San Francisco Post.
\ breach of promise case is now pending of
Marysvile, which exhibits some peculiar feat
ures 1t seems the defendant, a young man
named Augustus Scudbury, is member of that
rapidly increasing class Of persons known q
amateur instantaneous photograph cranks
This individual had become SO enthused
over the achievements Of European photograph
ers in obtaining negatives of birds flying
horses running away, tigers sefzing their prey
etc, that he made himself q holy nuisance
proving around after people with his portable
camera, electric slides and things. One day he
would he found ambUshed beside the railway
track ard filling up the switch tenders with
beer in the happy anticipation of catching a
good impression of flrst-class smashup: the
next trying to bride some dying mans
family to allow him 70 take a snap shot at the
patient just when the death-ratte set in. In
fact, it is stated that once, when some miners
were having terrible quarrel in n bar-room
Scudberry suddenly appeared in the doorway
with his instrument over his head and exclaiin-
ed eycfte0ly
"Wait until put on dry plate before you
shoot, gentlemen! Get your pistols ready and
fire together when say three. 1 want to get
in all the flashes"
Well, as we were going to say, this same Scud-
berry was engaged TO a girl named PlifIey, and
somehow had got the idea into his head that
Amelia-her name was Amelia, and she wore q
number four shoe. which is mighty good for a
Marysville girl-waS untrue TO him; in fact that
she was still encouraging the attentions of q
dry goods clerk named BoggS.
80 ScuDDeGrE. having lnSt received an auto
matte clockwOrk attachment to his apparatus.
carried his machine over to his fancee's house
on pTetenSe of taking the pictures of the family
He took Amelia'S mother in the act of spanking
the baby: he took the baby in the act Of swal-
lowing pin; took the cat in the act of catching
a mouse; took dinner and then took his leave
Scudberry explained that he to be out of
town that evening. 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 il is natural 10 suppose thai they
were both unaware that the Photographic APP
paratuS in the corner-the lens OF which was
adjusted as to rake the sofa fore and aft, so to
speai-was automatically adjusted 10 take an
instantaneous negative at precisely 11::SO %. m.
that being the hour when the Jealous Scudberry
supposed the festivities would be in progress If
at all. At all events the couple were startled at
about that period by peculiar click from
Scudberry's machine, and which they under
stood better the next day when that gentleman
indignantly broke his engagement and ex-
hibited picture which be sarcastically labeled
''No. i6I, Grfeco-Roman Hugging Match
Miss Plihey immediately brought suit for
breach of promise, ,Boggs testifying that he was
only rehearSing a contemplated tableau with
the plaintiff. Meanwhile Scudberry has filed
the photograph rs evidence, and the whole
town is waiting anxiously for the verdict. As
soon as IT is rendered, the whole story will be
carefully dramatized for the Baldwin as one of
the most thrilling episodes of life in the far