The colored American., 1902-08-09

| the web around the prisoner, ne would
put him on the stand, not to testify,
but to be identified. The accusing
finger of this victim of lust, should
point him out.
So the prosecutor ordered the bailiff
to bring the prisoner around. AS he
was being led to the bar, there was a
suppressed murmur throughout the
dingy old court room.
"Order in COURT" cried out the bailiff.
Stand up, Georgei" shouted the prose
cutor, with a confident air-but George
was thinking about "baccy'' and either
did not hear or did not regard the
peremptory order. The court attend
ant seized the young Negro by his good
arm, swung him around and marched
him to the front of the rail, where he
was roughly commanded to stand up,
although the poor devil was already
standing up. His honor arose from
his seat and glaring viciously at the
now terrified Negro before him, called
the little maid to the stand again. He
wanted some of the glory out of the
case, so he relieved the prosecuting at
torney of his duty by examining the
witness himself MY little dear"
said he, you said when you testified
little while ago that it was George who
assaulted you"
"Yes, sir, l did,
''Do you see George in the court?"
'Yes, sir. 1 do"
'Just point him out, where is he?"
The child raised her hand and walk
ing to the left of the District Attorney,
pointed her index finger at the white
George who sat on bench with a num-
beT of other persons who had testified
against the niger" There he is,
sir" Are you sure that is the man."
now asked the District Attorney. eyes.
sir" she answered promptly, and with
some warmth of feeling, for one of her
age. 1T wasn't the black George at
all; it was George over there. You
know it was you, George" she said re-
proachfully. And Georges color
changed perceptibly, and he became
restless in his seat The child fixed
her gaze upon him and he averted her
eyes. But all eyes in that dingy old
court room were focused upon him.
Continuing, the innocent child said:
Il bit him on his right arm and that's
what made him let me go. Then he
swore at me and ran away, he did.
don't like him, any more, he is
naughty"
The audience, the judge and pros
ecuting attorney were dumbfounded-
were not only surprised, but disap-
pointed at the turn affairs had taken.
They had not looked for this, and they
were not quite prepared even to be-
lieVe this straightforward story.
The court officers kept their eyes on
George, the farmer boy, however, until
an information had been sworn out
by the father Of his victim for crimi-
nal assault. This done they put their
hands on him, and gave him black
Georges place. He was made to re-
move his coat and roll up his shirt
sleeve. and there on his right arm lust
below the muscle was the telI-taIe print
OF the girls teeth.
The evidence was so conclusive. the
prisoner was remanded, and in less
than two weeks he was convicted and
sentenced to eighteen years at hard
labor.
Black George was released from GUS
fody without a word of comment or
apology. As he passed on his way out
or the court room his good arm was ex-
tended many times to receive liberal
contributions of his favorite weed.
The strange 90 denouement created
sensation which lasted for months
Such crime was unusual C?) among
n