Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-11-26
HE KILLED THE CASE
FATAL EFFECT OF BROTHER SPEARS
MUSICAL TESTIMONY.
After the Jury Heard Ii They Ac
quilted the Naughty Children Whs
Laughed In Church and Disturbed
the Religious AssembIaEe.


the Religious AssembIaEe.
A well known lawyer Of Lancaster.
Mo, related the following legal incl
dent: One Of the most original lawyers
i ever met In my life was Sam Dysart,
who many years ago was a resident Of
our county. Sam was born humorist
and could have made his fortune In the
lecture field. When he lived up our
way, he was engaged on one occasion
to defend lot of boys and girls charg-
ed with disturbing a religious assem-
bly, out in the country. Laughing and
giggling" Is the way the information
read The case was tried before Squire
A c. Bailey, good old man who has
long since gone to his final reward.
Like all cases of the sort. ii attracted
an immense crowd from the vicinity of
the alleged outrage.
T. c. Tadlock prosecuted. and he was
instructed by the church people to
spare no pains to convict the disturb
ers, who We're very much frightened
by being dragged into court All the
defendants We're children of good fam
-s'' ~ =
They candidly admitted they laughed
OUT IN church. ana the state insisted
that by their own mouths they We're
condemned.
brother lice spears a righteous maj
OF furitanic type, was the main prose
cutting witness lie had conducted the
service, ana he testihed that the peace
was sadly disturbed by the unseemly
behavior of the rioters After he
told his story in chief he sat down with
ciasped hands. waiting for the defend
ants attorney TO Deglh on hlm- de
didn't have long to wait. The eNami-
nation began like this:
Brother Spears, you led the meetin'
that night!
Il did, sir
You prayedF
1 did. sir.
And preached!
Il tried to-
And sang ~
Il sang.
What did you singT'
There Is Fountain Filled With /
Blood sir"
Here Mr.. Dysart pulled a hymnbook /
from his pocket and handed it to the
witness with the remark:
Please turn to that song. Brother
Spears
The witness did so.
That's what you sang that night?"
1T is. sir"
well. stand up and sing it now, IL
you please"
What"
You heard what l said, Brother
Spears"
But | can't sing before this sort of
crowd"
Brother Spears" with much appar-
enf Indignation, do | understand that
you refuse to furnish legitimate evil
dence TO this jury"
NO. no-but. you see
.'Your honor" said Mr. Dysart, Il
insist that the witness shall sing the
song referred to just as he did on the
night 9 ALLEGED disturbance. 1t is
part OF ouE evidence and very impor-
tant. The reason for it will be disclos-
ed later on
There was a long jangle between
the lawyers. and the court finally or
dered the witness TO get up and sing
And mind you, Brother spears,
said Dysart seriously. you must sing
II Just as you did that night. III you
chahSe note. you VIII nave 10 go pack
anu 90 it all over AGAIN
me witness got up ana opened the
DOOR, ihefe is vast uiHerelice De
tween singing 10 congregation IN
sympathy with you ana a crowd OF
courtroom hapitues. hrother spears
WIS paihi uiis cohscious VI 'he iae''
lou hho" ho" THESE oiu 'iiiie ny INNS
hre sung ~ 'he paeh oous 'ue
inen's lou pesih III Tue oaseiieh
"no "oiN W - 'he tooi anu ',ieii zap
on ifoih TUG uiz@s neish' anu hIaii!
iuIsh tue liiie ~ tug
nat tue Way Tue "i.hess uiu q