The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1899-09-14
About AS Much Sense
In the Following Dialogue as Was In
The Testimony at the Dreyfus
Case In France.


Read the following, and then you
will know how it would sound If IL
happened in Chicago instead of In
France.
The Court-"Prisoner, you are ac-
cused OF stealing dog. Are you
guilty or not guilty?"
Prisoner-"Not guilty"
Court-"Well, some one stole q
dog, and IL you refuse to acknowl-
edge your guilt we may be COM
PEELED to cast suspicion on gentle
men who would be deeply panied
to have any such thing happen"
Prisoner-"How can l acknowl.
edge my guilt when l didn't steal
the dog?"
Court-"That isn't the point. The
point is that great many piomi-
nent and influential people have
said at different times that you
stole the dog. Now, if you come
before the tribunal and prove that
you didn't steal the dog you are GO
ing to humiliate agreat many we'll
known and sensitive persons and
make the whole situation very dis
tressing to me. 1t would simplify
matters greatly ifyou would admit
that you stole the dog"
PrisOner-"But how can / admit
stealing the dog W hen l am entirely
innocent?"
Court-"Did you ever see the dog
said to have been stolen ?"
Prisoner-"Yes, sir" (Profound
sensation.)
Court--"And yet you have the
audacity to stand there and say
you didn't steal it?"
Prisoner-"A great many other
people saw the dog"
Court-"Perhaps SO; but they
would make trouble if you or any
one else began insinuating against
them, so don't propose to have
their names hauled in here. OF all
the men who saw the dog and had
a chance to steal it, you are the on
ly one whose conviction would
please and satisfy the general pub
lic."
Prisoner-"I can bring witnesses
who saw another man steal the
dog. l can prove that he confessed
to stealing the dog and that he has
fled to escape punishment"
Court-"You ought not to bring
any such testimony into this court,
for If you do so you are going to up
set some theories held by very dear
friends of mine, and If l permit the
introduction of such testimony
there is no telling what they will
think of me. IF you didn't steal
the uog isn't there something else
you have done that is punishable
in one way or another?"
Prisoner-"I can't think of any
thing just now"
Court-"Oh, pshaw! Are you not
guilty Of something? Just think
Il moment. Nearly every man is
guilty OF something. If we can
find you guilty of anv old crime it
Will help some."
Prisoner-"I refuse to acknowl-
edge any degree OF guilt. am in
nncent."
Court-"I don't see how you can
be when 50 many estimable people
think otherwise, but 1 suppose we
shall have to give you trial. Call
the first Witness"
First Witness-"Yourh honor, / a m
u very high-minded and aristocrat-
ic person, and / have always dis
liked this defendant. (Sensation.)
AS soon as / heard that some one
had accused him of stealing dog
knew he must be guilty. / still
hold to the opinion that he is guilty
know that another man has con.
|
fessed to stealing the dog and has
skipped out TO avoid arrest, but
these details have no weight with
me. / am satisfied that if the de.
fendant did not steal the dog men.
toned in this affidavit he must
have stolen some other dog that
we know nothing about. Ever
since this wretched defendant was
first accused of this crime I have
been going around saying that he
was guilty beyond the shadow ol
doubt. Naturally, ! am not going
to come up here now and acknowl.
edge his innocence. If he Is &C.
quilted III he the subject Of ridi.
cule. That Is why L urge the court