Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-12-26


out IN church, and the state insiste
that by their own mouths they wer
condemned
Brother Tice Spears, righteous ma,
OF Puritanic type, was the main prose
cutting witness. He had conducted TIL
service. and he testified that the peac
& was sadly disturbed by the unseeml,
behavior of the rioters" After h
told his story in chief he sat down will
clasped hands, waiting for the defend
ants attorney to begin on him. III,
didn't have long to wait. The exami
nation began like this:
Brother Spears, you led the meetin
that night?"
II did, SIR"
You prayed?"
II did, SIR"
"And preachedss-
II tried to-"
"And sang?"
II sang"
"What did you sing"
"'There Is a Fountain Filled With
Blood sir"
Here Mr.. Dysart pulled 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?"
st is, SIR"
well, stand up and sing it now, If
you please
'eWhatw
You heard what I said, Brother
Spears"
But | can't sing before this sort Of
I crowd"
"Brother Spears, WIN mucn uppar-
ent Indignation, "do understand that
you refuse to furnish legitimate evil
dence to this jury?"
mo, no-but, you see'-
"Your honor" said Mr.. Dysart, 81
insist that the witness shall sing the
song referred to just as he did on the
night of alleged disturbance. 1t is q
part of our evidence and very impor-
tant. The reason for it will be disclos-
ed later on"
There was 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
it just as you did that night. If you
change note, you will have to go back
and do it all over again.
The witness got up and opened the
book. There is vast difference be-
tween singing to congregation in
sympathy with you and crowd of
courtroom habitues. Brother Spears
was painfully conscious of the fact.
You know how these old time hymns
are sung in the backwoods settle
ments? You begin in the basement
and work up to the roof and then leap
off from the dizzy height and finally
finish the line in the basement.
That's the way the witness did. He
had good voice-that is, 1t was strong.
If Gabriels trumpet ever gets out Of
whack he could utilize that voice and
wake the dead just as readily. 1t
seemed to threaten the window lights.
The crowd didn't smile, 1t Just yelled
with laughter. The jurymen bent
UOuUIe duu ulluOSL TOlleu lIOui luSll
seats. The court bit his corncob pipe
harder and looked solemn. 1t wasn't
any use. There were only two straight
faces in the house. One belonged to
"a deaf man and the other to Sam Dy-
sart. The singer finished and sat down.
He looked tired. Sam Immediately ex-
cused him.
When the time for speechmaking
came Sam remarked to the jury: "lf
you gentlemen think you could go to
one Of Brother Spears meetings and
behave better than you have here, why
you may be justified in convicting these
boys and girls"
That was all he said. but it gave
the jury lots to think about. They
brought in verdict of not guilty.
with the request that Brother Spears
sing another song. But that gentle
man had gone home and court adj
journed. Republican.