The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-04
THE EVENING STORY
x-Ray Evidences.

A-Il<1f ENA%ACA1CCs
John Randolph said the prosecut-
bling the hen roost of Uncle Ben
Franklin. You have not only. robbed
1t once, but dozen times. Were it
not for the repetition of the offense
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 affec-
ton and brought to an age when he
could have sold them for broilers to
a good profit. What have you to say
in your defense2"
81 had to say, mars lawyer, dat 1
hain't tasted chicken meat TO two
years. Yo' see, mas, rs too honest to
steal 'em, rs too proud to beg EN-,
and de price has been goin' up SO fas'
Job late dat 1 can't afford to buy EN-.
Now, jist tell yo', mars lawyer, de
trouble wifi de kentry is de trus'. It's
out OBJ de chicken in de coli storage
and fills up de gap wifi de price. 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 national evil
we would all listen with eyes and ears
open, but for our present purpose a
dissertation on chicken stealing would
be far more acceptable. Nevertheless,
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 ques-
ton is OBJ my guilt"
John" looking at the negro admir-
ing1y, Il doubt if Randolph of Roa-
noke ever spoke a trueF sentence. Since
the accused is guiltleSs 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 you tax
circumstantiary evidence. Yo' can prove
anything by dat evidence Reckon II
was snorin' in bed yo might prove L
war robbin' hen roosfs by dat. CIR
cumstantiary evidence, sab, amt WORT
de-
ssThe difficulty of eliminating your
fine analytical powers" again inter-
rupted the attorney, lis great, John,
admit Nevertheless I must find means
to do so. If you again swerve from
the question I shall have to ask MS
| honor to commit you for contempt OF
court"
| CONTEMPT of cou't, sab! I hab- con-
| tempt of court! / hab de highest re-
spec To- court. Wha' innocent men ac-
| cused OBJ stealin' chickens gwine to DO
widout de cou't, like to know"
THAT is very cute of you, John. You
| have the faculty of persuasive eloquence
| to a high degree. There is something
|
| I'm almost persuaded to consider you
| innocent. My duty to the state, how
| ever, requires me to prove you guilty
that is. if I can. John, did you ever
hear of the x ray?" :.
..The x ray is light by which we
can look into a mans body ana see
| what's there. Now, I'm going to deter
mine your guilt or innocence or steanng
nj. nRiPhh0r
has testified to seeing you chop the head
| of a chicken this morning just before
breakfast 1t is to be presumed ina
you ate this chicken. But we don 7
know that. I propose 10 prlng tne %
ray to bear on your stomach and deter
mine 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 innocence Now tnat
| science was to point out his guilt he
ouailed But only for moment. a
| sudden thought seemed to strike MIN,
and he braced himself for continu-
ance of his case.
| Bring in the x ray apparatus, the
attorney called to his assistant.
| An electric machine such as Is used
| nv invalids was brought in and, to
| make it appear more Impressive, was
placed on four bottles. me attorhe :.
| nIaced a handle attached by wire TO
The machine in each of John Ran
/
| dolph's hands.
'sNov. prisoner" said the prosecutor
sternly. "when I pull out this cylinder
you'll feel 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 demonstrationary,'
said the darby confidently.
| The attorney pulled out the cylinder
The darky braced himself against the
shock. but rolled his eyes around as II
under a great mental strain. Mean
while the attorney folded a piece OF
paper into a tube, placed one enc
| q eainst John Randolph's stomach and
1,is own eve against the other. He pre-
tended to look carefully for few min
1ites- during which the negro was IN an
agony of suspense Ihen the sa1el
dropped his telescope
| "YoI1r honor he said, IT saw plain
lv the remains of chicken in the pris-
oner's stomach"
.syo, honor" said the prisoner, "aS
him ef he kin tell wedder he saw Ben
Franklin's chicken or some uddel
pusson's chicken
| whether the attorney would nave
had the effrontery to declare that he
had seen the chicken in question OF
not could not be determined. for the
nent IN mirtf of the court suddenly
bbUrst lis barriers, and there was an
evnIosion of laughter. AS soon as the
jni5ee could find voice he cried:
sd7The prisoner is discharged.
F. A. MITCHELL.