The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-12-09

the sharpest detectives in New England,
the meek little man had led up to
sworn statement which closed the door
against any claim that the jug in court
was not the jug which was taken from
the wagon.
The defence was finished.
Judge Foster leaned back in his chair,
closed his eyes, and seemed buried in
profound meditation. Then he opened
his eyes and gazed long and earnestly at
the prosecuting lawyer, finally saying in
slow, measured tones: Brother Kimball,
bring that jug of alleged whisky to me.
Up to the bench it went.
The Judge with calm elaboration grasp
ed tumbler and filled it from the jug.
He held the glass toward the light and
looked through it. A sip of the liquid
caused no change of expression to sweep
across his inscrutable countenance. He
held the glass toward the light again and
took so deep draught that some of the
more nervous women in the court room
shuddered.> Then he placed the tumbler
upon the desk, leaned back in his chair.
closed his eyes and passed into another
characteristic period of reflection.
For the second time Judge Foster, S
eyes opened directly upon the prosecut-
ing lawyer.
7'Brother Kimball, - he said, "What do
you call this awful stuff?'
The attorney for the State took the
glass and tasted the fluid.
81 cannot name it, Judge" was the
solemn reply.
The tumbler was passed to Hanscom,
who drained it and was bewildered. There
had been an appalling blunder some
where The jug with H under the handle,
which he had so positively identified as
the Jug he took from the wagon of THAT
Comical Browne" was really and truly
filled with sweet, pure water from that
blessed spring on Bear mountain. 1t was
plain, from the absence of odor, that
there had never been whisky in that jug.
Judge Foster leaned back, closed his
eyes and passed into his third period of
reflection. His eyes opened upon the ac-
cused man whom he regarded with stern
ness for few moments. Then in i'm
pressive tones he said:
"Charles Browne, you riay stand up. J"
AS THAT Comical Browne" arose, the
simple, childish smile upon his meek face
gradually expanded into the most mar
velous grin that the human eye ever
looked upon That marvellous grin SEEM
ed to fill the whole courtroom like sud-
den outburst of dazzling sunlight.
The Judge continued: CHARLES Browne,
you are discharged from this court. You
may go without day-and-you may take
your only jug with you.
When the people had dispersed his
honor put on his high silk hat which,
with his long loose black coat, made him
appear very tall, turned and looked be-
nignantly at the State attorney, and
finally remarked:
''Brother Kimball, we should have been
spared such an awful experience if you
had had the whisky tested again in the
anteroom this morning before coming
into court. 1t is lesson you should never
forget"
Years later, when A. S. Kimball had
become one of the distinguished men of
Maine, Enoch Foster the best read JUS
tice of the supreme court of the State,
and O. M. Hanscom deputy superintend-
ent of the Boston police, they learned
that on the night before the trial THAT
Comical Browne" entered the law office
of Mr. Kimball by the shed window and
removed the jug of whisky, putting in
in its place similar jug filled with water.
His quick eye noticed the H under the
handle and he scratched a similar one on
the second jug.-Boston Globe.