The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-05-13
A REALISTIC PICTURE.
It Proved Too Absorbing For Old Unsie
Juniper.

1t Proved Too Absorbing For Old Unsle
Juniper.
The Mississippi courtroom was pack
ed with negroes, and it was fairly
evident says contributor to the lay.
lor-Trotwood Magazine, that some
thing of unusual interest was about
to transpire. Within the bar on the
prisoners seat an old negro leaned
eagerly forward as his attorney ar
gued his plea of not guilty before the
jury.
who, gentlemen Of the jury, has
sworn that he saw this man commit |
this theft?" demanded the attorney.
I'VE have broken every link in the
weak chain Of circumstantial evidence
with which the state has tried to en-
tange him. Why, his neighbor, Tom
Jones' swore that he sold him the |
meat that was found in the defend !
ants house and that he shot the hog
because it, was wild.
ut Is true that Colonel Smith swGre
that one Of his hogs disappeared about
Dec. % and that about fifty yards
from a certain stump he found blood
and then followed a trail of blood from
that spot to this defendants abin. But
what of that?
This defendant told you-and his
wife and brother swore the same-that
that was the blood of coon which he
had shot and carried home the day be
fore Smith lost his hog. Give him jus.
tice as you would do If he were a
white man. He cannot help being
black. The leopard cannot change his
spots nor the Ethiopian his skin For
twenty years he has been a leader in
the church. Let him remain free to
enjoy the bread Of life with others of
the faithful"
AS the lawyer sat down the women.
who had been weaving" back and
forth for some minutes, commenced to
shout:
Dress de Lawd!"
Oar, now
I'VE knows yos innocent, Br'er Juni.
per-
The sheriff had to threa ten to clear
the courtroom before order was restor-
ed. When at last there was silence the
district attorney rose.
''Gentlemen of the jury" he began
in closing the case for the state, Il de-
sire only to bring a picture to your
minds"
Here the prisoner adjusted his big
brass trimmed spectacles as If to see
the picture, and his manner showed
that he was determined to let no detail
escape him.
The ed OF last December" contin-
ued the district attorney, found Juni-
per Bradley without meat. His son
was coming to spend Christmas with
him. But Juniper did not worry. for
only half mile away in Marse Smiths
woods were some fat hogs.
An hour before sunset Juniper was
kneeling behind Il large stump in these
woods. with his rife pointing toward a
hog that at some distance away was
roofing among the leaves"
The district attorney paused Taking
cane to represent rife. he knelt be-
| hind a chair After some minutes Of
! moving TO right and left. now raising,
! now lowering his rife. he took careful
aim and then fred, initiating the noise
Of report very successfully.
At the sound Juniper, who had been
smiling. apparently oblivious to every
thing save the district attorneys move
ments. exclaimed:
Vas, sub, OATS des de way I done
hit, boss
The laugh that followed brought Ju-
niper to q realiza ton of what he had
done. and he shufTied round in the
! prisoners seat, muttering, Niger got
no show nohoww