Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-01-13

the alleged outrage.
r. G. Tadlock prosecuted, and he was
instructed by the church people t.
spare no pains to convict the disturb
ers, who were very much frightened
by being dragged into court. All the
defendants were children of good fam
lilies, and it was their first offense
They candidly admitted they laughed
out in church, and the state insisted
that by their own mouths they were
condemned.
Brother Tice Spears, a righteous man
of Puritanic type, was the main prose,
cutting witness. He had conducted the
service, and he testified that the peace
was sadly disturbed by the unseemly
behavior of the "rioters." After he
told his story in chief he sat down will,
clasped hands, waiting for the defend
ants attorney to begin on him. He
didn't have long to wait. The exami-
nation began like this:
Brother Spears, you led the meetin'
that night"
81 did. sir"
"You prayed"
II did. sir
"And preached"
II tried to-"
"And sang?"
II sang"
"What did you sing?"
Blood sir"
Here Mr.. Dysart pulled a hymnbook
from his pyket- 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?'
"It is, sir"
"Well, stand up and sing it now, If
you please"
WHAT
You heard what said. Brother
Spears
''But can't sing before this sort Of
crowd"
Brother Spears" with much appar-
ent indignation, "do l understand that
you refuse to furnish legitimate evil
dence to this jury?"
mo, 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 of alleged disturbance. 1t is a
part of our evidence and very impor-
tant. The reason for it will be dsclos-
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
1t just as you did that night. If you
change note, you will have to go back I
and do 1t 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 /
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, it was strong.
If Gabriel's 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, it just yelled
with laughter. The jurymen bent
louble and almost rolled from their
seats. The court bit his corncob pipe
harder and looked solemn. 1t wasn't
my use. There were only two straight
aces in the house. One belonged to
deaf man and the other to Sam by
art. The singer finished and sat down.
lie looked tired. Sam Immediately ex-
used him.
When the time for speechmaking :
anne Sam remarked to the jury: IF
'Ou gentlemen think you could so to
me of Brother Spears meetings and
'ehave better than you have here. why ,
ou may be justified in convicting these ,
loys and girls"
That was all he said. but it gave
he jury lots to think about. They =
rought in a verdict of not guilty,
With the request that Brother Spears
ing another song. But thai gentle 1
1an had gone home and court adj
Republican