Evening star., 1898-08-27
PROVING AN ALIBI.
A Well-Acted Tale Cleared the
Prisoner.


Prisoner.
From the London Evening News.
The cleverest attorney that ever I heard
of (safd O'ConneD was one Checkley. IA
miliarly known by the name of .'Checkley-
be-d-d."
Checkley was agent once at the Cork AS
sizes for a fellow accused of burglary and
aggravated assault. committed at Bantry.
The noted Jerry Keller was counsel for the
prisoner, against whom the charge was
made out by the clearest circumstantial
evidence-so clearly that it seemed quite
impossible to doubt his guilt
When the case for the prosecution closed
the judge asked If there were any witnesses
for the defense.
Yes, my lord" said Jerry Keller, 81 have
three briefed to me-"
Call them," said the Judge
Checkley Immediately hustled out of
court. and returned at once leading in a
very respectable farmer-like man, with a
blue coat and gilt buttons, scratch wig,
corduroy tights and CATERS. This is a
ley.
Jerry Keller Ohe counseD forthwith be-
gan to examine the witness.
You know the prisoner in the dock?''
said Keller.
eyes, your honor, ever since he was a
gossoon.'
and what is his general character" said
Keller.
'oh, the d. a worse.'
why, what sort of a witness is this
you've brought?" cried Keller, passionate
ly finging down his brief and looking fu-
riously at Checkley; ''he has ruined us!''
He may prove an alibi, however, whis-
pered Checkley; examine him as to alibi."
Keller accordingly resumed his examina-
ton.
Where was the prisoner on the 10th in
stant?' said he.
'He was near Castlemartyr," answered
the witness
Are you sure of that?'
quite sure, counsellor
How do you know with such certainty
Because upon that very night l was re-
turning from the fair and when got near
my own house L saw the prisoner a little
way on before me-fd swear to him any
where. He was lodging about, and 1 knew
1t could be for no good end. So 1 stepped
into the field and turned off my horse to
grass; and while 1 was watching the lad
from behind the ditch I saw him pop across
the wall into my garden and steal lot of
parsnips and carrots, and, what thought
a great deal worse of, he stole a brand-new
English spade had got from my landlord
Lord Shannon. So, faix, I cut away after
him. l was not able to ketch him. But
next day my spade was seen, surely, in his
house; and that's the same rogue in the
dock. l wish l had a hoult of him.
ut is quite evident, said the judge, "that
we must acquit the prisoner; the witness
has clearly established an alibi for him.
Castlemartyr is nearly sixty miles from
Bantry. and he certainly is anything but a
partisan of his. Then" addressing the wit
ness, will you swear information against
the prisoner for his robbery of your prop
erty?"
"Troth, I will, my lord, with all the pleas
ure in life, If your lordship thinks 1 can get
any satisfaction out of him; I'm told 1 can
for the spade, but not for the carrots and
parsnips.''
Go to the crown Office and swear infor-
nation" said the judge.
The prisoner was, of course, discharged,
the alibi having been clearly established.
In an hours time some inquiry was made
as to whether Checkley's rural witness hac
sworn informations in the crown Office.
That gentleman was not to be heard of; the
prisoner had also vanished Immediately on
being discharged and, of course, resumed
his malpractice forthwith.
1t needs hardly to be told that Lord Shan.
mons soi-disant tenant dealt little in fic-
ton, and that the story of his farm from
that nobleman, and of the spade and the
vegetables, was a pleasant device of Mr.