Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1905-06-29
X Ray Evidence.

not tor the repetltlon OF the oHense
your distinguished fellow citizen would
look leniently upon the theft and
leave you to your conscience. But
you have taken dozen fat chickens
which he has reared, nurtured with
tender affection and brought up to an
age when he could have sold them for
broilers to good profit. What have
you to say in your defense ?"
81 hab to say, mars lawyer, dat l
hain't tasted chicken meat 70 two
years. Yo' see, mars, Is too honest
too steal EN-, Is too proud to beg EN-
and de price has been gOen up so tas
OBJ late date l can't afford to buy EN-.
Now, jist tell yo', mars lawyer, de
trouble wifi de kentry is de trus'. It's
de chicken trus' dat take all de favor
out OBJ de chicken in de col storage
and fills up de gap wifi deprlce. It's
de trus' "
"John Randolph" interrupted the
attorney, "could the distinguished
man for whom you are named stand
before US and expatiate on this ma
tional evil we would all listen with
eyes and ears open, but for our pres
ent purpose dissertation on chicken
stealing would be far more aCCepta-
BILE. Nevertheless, neither of these
topics is IN order. The question we
are here to determine is your guilt or
innocence of the charge Of stealing
Ben Franklin's hens"
"Yo' mistaken, sab. Dere amt no
question OBJ my innocence; de only
question is OBJ my guilt"
John, looking at the negro ad-
miringly, II doubt if Randolph Of
Roanoke ever spoke truer sentence.
Since the accused is gulltless before
the law till proved guilty there is no
question as to your innocence. 1t is
your guilt we are to determine"
dat depends, sab, wedder 70 tax
circumstantiary evidence. Yo' can
prove anything by dat evidence.
Reckon if l was snorin' in bed 20
might prove l war robbin hen roosts
by dat circumstantiary evidence, sab,
amt wort de-
The difficulty of eliminating your
fine analytical powers, again inter-
rupted the attorney, "is great, John,
l admit. Nevertheless l must find
means to do so. If you again swerve
from the question shall have to ask
his honor to commit you for contempt
of court.
contempt Of cou't, sab | | hab
contempt of cou't l hab de highest
respec' 70 cou't. What innocent men
accused OBJ stealth chickens gwine to
do widout de cou't, like to know?'
THAT is very cute of you, John.
You have the faculty Of persuasion
to a high degree. There is some.
thing so honest sounding in your pro-
test that I'm almost persuadedto con.
slider you innocent. Ny duty to the
state, however, requires me to prove
you guilty-that is, if l can. Johnr
did you ever hear Of the X ray ?"
mo, sah l didn't neber hyar OBJ
de X ray"
THE X ray is light by which we
can look into a mans body and see
what's there. Now, I'm going to de-
termine your guilt or innocence Of
stealing chicken last night. Your
neighbor has testified to seeing you
chop the head off chicken this morn.
ing Just before breakfast. 1t is to be
presumed that you ate this chicken.
But we don't know that. l propose
to bring the X rays to bear on your
stomach and determine if the chicken
is there.
John Randolph turned livid. So
long as words could be used to throw
dust into the courts eyes he had
maintained an air of injured limo.
ceuce. Now that science was to point
out his guilt he quailed. But only
for a moment. a sudden thought
seemed to strike him, and he braced
himself Tor continuance Of his case.
Bring in the x ray apparatus,
the attorney called to his assistant.
An electric machine such as is used
by invahds was brought in and, tt
make it appear more impressive, wa
placed on four bottles. The attorney
placed handle attached by wire Il
the machine in each Of John Ran