The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-09
Our Daily $bcrt Story

himT' The prisoner hesitated. T have no counsel, your honor," he explained, land I could not get MT. Humbert here. How can I get him?' The court called an officer and told him to take the address of this man Humbert and get him here at once. The officer went around to a dingy little store that he had never seen before. In front of 1t there was man with a bare head, taking a sun bath. He was a good-sized man. "Mr. Humbert," asked the officer. The other nodded You're wanted down at court" he went on. Get your hat" "Me?" said Humbert. pulling a skullcap from his pocket, Indeed! What for? Prisoner in that Boggs rob- bery case says he was in your store that night Was he?'' The man who called himself Humbert scratched his head. 'Ridiculous!" he said. "Of course he wasn't" Neither the officer nor the man called Humbert had ventured inside the store. They immediately went to court. The judge nodded to the man called Hum bert. Mir. Humbert?" he inquired. Hum- bert nodded.
 MT. Humbert." went on the judge, ''this man says he was at your shop on the 18th of last month in the evening for an hour. beginning 6:55 Is that true?"
 Humbert put on a large pair of spec tacles. "Ridiculous!" he exclaimed 'T never saw the man before." The judge breathed a sigh of satisfaction, the police grinned with an air of 'I told you so." May l." began the prisoner. May I ask question:" Certainly sir,' re- sponded the judge. "Mr.-Mr. Humbert." continued Higgins. the accused. don't you remember a man who called at your place that night to get a clock that had been left for repair-and who talked about tattoo marks?" Humbert started and rubbed his head. "Of course,' he re- turned. 'I dol do remember him. showed him a tattoo mark of a clock upon my arm, and he showed me on his =" Wait a minute" went on the pris- oner, what day was that?" Why" an swered Humbert. 'it was the evening of Good Friday-I remember 1t well. Yes, indeed-there was such a man. And he was there an hour, too. But now did you know that?" he asked of the pris- oner.
 "what were the tattoo marks he showed your" asked the prisoner.
 Humbert again scratched his head. "One arm," he answered, had a god dess of liberty. and the other a dancing girl with the words H. H. beneath it. remember them we'll" The prisoner rolled up his sleeves. Are those the marks?" he asked. The witness, Hum- bert, leaned forward and examined the marks with care. 'Why-why, to be sure," he answered. Then he looked the prisoner steadily in the eye. Why, bless me- you-you were the very man. Yes, your honor, this is the man, and he says truth when he says that he was with me during the hour named. He is right, and was wrong.'
 Humbert seemed so very honest about it, and his testimony was so straight forward that the prisoner was perforce discharged by the verdict of the jury. He thanked MT. Humbert profusely. and Humbet went his way and the prisoner went his.
 Late that afternoon policeman who had happened to witness the trial drop ped into Humbert's on his way to his beat, just to have a bit of a chat about the alibi. An elderly gentleman was ar ranging some watches in a case. ''Where is Mir Humbert?' asked the officer. II an, Mir Humbert," responded the old man. "I-I mean the other one," went on the officer. There is no other one" returned the other. "A big stout man" suggested the policeman. 'I am the only Humbert," answered the old man; you must have things mixed"
 That same afternoon big. stout, bur, Iy man and a tall, though heavy indi- Nidual, hastened from the town. The latter resembled MT. Higgins, the former the witness Humbert.
 'I'n take my half right now.' eug- rested Mir Higgins. MT. Humbert hand ed over a small wad of bills.
 Tt was absurd for them to charge me with that crime-assault and rob bery of that man Boggs-absurdly ridIcu- ions."
 Humbert, as he had called himself, scratched his head Tt was absurd" he went oh, though I say so that myself. But it was done clever too, he went on, though I say so that oughtn't."