Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-07-20
DAILY SHORT STORY
A POINT OF LAW.
IOrigin3l.l

Jim Sanders
WAL. Jim Sanders, yer here to be
tried for the KILN of Andy Larry. The
said Andy Larry an you uns was play
in a small game at the Sunset saloon,
an Andy won consid' able of you uns'
money. You draw'd student an with
no other provercashun excep' losin' far,
Jist because you was Onlucky"-
Andy was the onlucky one" inter
rupted the prisoner. He dropped a ace
of clubs on the floor when had anoth-
er one in my hand"
Are you sure of that
Tom Burke seen it. / Kin prove it
by him"
Call Tom Burke said the judge
Burke took the stand and swore that
lie had seen an ace Of clubs lying on the
floor. a duplicate Of which was in the
hands of the prisoner, but he couldn't
say which man dropped it. He rather
thought IL fell from Jim Sanders
sleeve
Judge" said the prisoner impressive
". I've toyed with keerds, man an
boy. nigh on ter twenty year. My
reputation for skill should purtec' me
from sich Il barefaced statement as
that. There's hundreds of men as has
played with me who'll swear that l am
incapable of any SIGH onhandiness. If
/ take a keerd from my sleeve it goes
on ter the table an not on ter the
floor
The prisoner looked around at the
faces Of those present for justification.
You've spoke - strong argument in
II
judicial pose.
TO prove what l say" continued the
prisoner, III agree 10 deal myself two
aces of clubs from a sQuar' pack an
use one from my sleeve, an if any mem
Der Of the jury kin spot the time done
any part of this professional bit of
work I'll plead guilty, confess an dance
the rope without Objectin.''
''Jim Sanders remarked the judge,
''prev'us To this charge YOU uns has
always bore a excellent reputashun,
an yer proposishun is worthy of yer
standin' in the community"
\ table was drawn forward. the
jury took seats around it, and the
prisoner was given the cards. He pro
ccedcd 10 shuttle them, dealt n poker
hand 10 each iuryman, dealt each man
To fill. and. without betting. there was
Il showdown. The dealers hand was
| three of a kind, being three aces Of
! clubs. and two kings. The judge look
| ed at the hand meditativeIy and then
| turned the aces over. One ace belonged
| to the pack. The others had different
| backs. The judge and jury looked at
! the prisoner as if the vindicatiOn was
questionable
Yer honor and gentlemen of the
jury" said the prisoner, Il hev done as
| agreed. / said I'd deal two aces of
| clubs from a squar' pack and take an
| other from my sleeve. The pack was
| squar, an thar's the aces of clubs.
l could hcv dealt 'em all from keerds
of the same pattern. as l hey 'em in
my pocket. but that wasn't what /
agreed to do. l agreed 10 deal 'em
| from a squar' pack"
The judge continued to stare medi-
| tatively at the aces and then said To
| the prisoner:
"Jim Sanders, l hev remarked on
| the excellent reputashun you bore be
| fore the shootin', an i hev allus re-
| garded you uns honorable man. but
| mus confess | was not prepared for
this spechuI evidence of yer high toned
sense of honor. The experiment is on
tirely satisfactory. We will resume
our original positions"
The table was moved back into its
place. and the jury again placed their
chairs ana stools in two rows.
Gentlemen of the jury" said the
judge, III now charge you. The pris-
oner is accused of shootin' in cold blood
one Andy Larry. The occashun of the
shoOtin' is said 10 be the drOppin' of an
ace of clubs on the floor, the same ace
bein in the hand of the prisoner. You
uns is forbid To consider the onhandi-
ness of Andy Larry. There mustn't be
no prejudice ag'in said Larry ON &C
count OF SIGH onperfeshunaI cIumsiness.
specially sence he's dead. What you
UHs has TO consider is Did Larry drop
the keeTd, or did Sanders drop il? An
| YOU unS needn't consider if Sanders
| dropped IL, cause he's proved sch
muffin unworthy of him. An you uns
needn't Ing in no side questions like
whether the prisoner is guilty anyway.
even if Larry did drop the keerd, or
whether Sanders was right in assumin'
that Larry wasn't playin' far. You
ace. If Larry dropped it. then you uns
i 10 find the prisoner not guilty Of the
shOotiH''
Tie jury rose but before retiring the
foreman put the following question:
Are we to consider il the prisoner
done the community a service in putin
out of the way q man that showed none
OF them nice points of honor that the
was bringin' disgrace on us all by
bungIin't'
You are 10 consider that pint" re
piled the Judge
The jury then filed out TO the saloon
where the shooting took place. In half
an hour they fled back again. and the
foreman announced the verdict
AT the Sunset saloon we found an