The daily Alaskan., 1905-11-04
X RAY EVIDENCE
EOrlElnall

ping the hen roost of Uncle Ben Franklin. You have not only robbed 1t once, but a dozen times. Were it not for the repetition of the OffensC your distinguished fellow citizen would look lenlently upon the theft and leave you to your conscience. But you have taken a dozen fat chickens which h' has reared, nurtured with tender aIcc tion and brought to an age when he could have sold them for broilers to a good profit. What have you to say in your defeuse:"
 q hab to say, mars lawyer, dat haln't tasted chicken meat fo' two years. Yo' see, mars, Is too honest to steal 'em, Is too proud to beg 'em and de price has been go.u' up so fas' ob late date l cant afford tJ JIy 'em, Now, l jist tell yo', mars lawyer, de trouble wifi Ge keutry is de trus'. It's de chicken trus' dat talk all de flavor out ob de chicken in de col storage and fills up de gap wifi de price. Its de trus' "-
 John Randolph" interrupted the at torney, could the distinguished man for whom you are named stand before us and expatiate on this national evil we would all listen with eyes and ears open, but for our present purpose a dis sertation on chicken stealing would b far more acceptable. 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 Fraukliu's huus.'
 "Yo' mistaken, sah. Dcrc ain't no question ob my innocence; Ge only question is oO my guilt
 "John," looking at the negro admir-. ingly, "I doubt if Randolph of Roa- uoke ever spoke trUcr sentence. Since the accused iS gI,lucss before the law til proved guilty there is uo question as to your innocence. It is your guilt we are to determine"
 Dat depends, sah, weider yo' talk clrcumstantiury evidence. No' can prove anything by dat evidence Reck. on if was suoriu' in bed yo' might prove I war robbtu' hen roosts by dat Circumstantiary evidence, sah, ain't worf de-
 The difficulty of eliminating your fine analytical powers" again inter rupted the attorney "is great John, admit. Nevertheless I must ind means to do so. If you again sworyr from the question l shall have to asE his honor to commit you for contempt ol court"
 Contempt of cout. sal. hah con. tempt of c2u't l hb Gc highest rc spec Cc' cou'L Wha' innocent men ac- cused ob stealth chickens gwMc lO dG widout de cou't, l like to know"
 That is very cute of you, John. You have the faculty of persuasive clo. quence to a high degree. There is something so honest sounding in your protest that I'm almost persuaded t0 consider you innocent My duty to the state. however, requires me to prove you gullty-th0t is, if can. John, did you ever hear of the x ray:'
 "NO, sah; didn't ncber hyur Ob de x ray"
 "The X ray is a 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 a chicken Inst night YouI neighbor has testified to seeing you chop the head off a chicken L.s morn. ing just before breakfast It k to bt presumed that you ate this chicken But we don't know that. l propose to bring the x ray to bear oI your stom. ach and determine if the chicken is there"
 John Randolph turned llvid. So long IS words could be used to throw dust Into the courts eyes he had maintained an air of injured innocence. Now that science was to point out his guilt he Quailed. But only for a moment A sudden thought seemed to strike hin and he braced himself for a contiuu. ance of bis case.
 Bring in the x ray apparatus" the lttorney called to his assistant.
 An electric machine such as is used by invalids was brought in and. to make 1t appear more impressive, was placed on four bottles. The attorney placed a handle attached by a wire to the machine ln each of John Ran dOlph's hands.
 Now, prisoner" said the prosecutor sternly, when pull out this cylinder you'll feel a slight shock. At the same time I can look into your stomach. The demonstration will be unnecessary If you will confess"
 GO on wifi de demonsratiouary, ' said the darky confidently.
 The attorney pulled out the cylinder. The darky braced himself against the shock, but rolled his eyes around as if under a great mental strain. Mean while the attorney folded a piece of paper into a tube, placed one end