Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1909-09-03
CHARGED WITH Theft
"A Queer Trial In Which Was Used
=: a Queer Defense.
SHIPPING A CASE OF GOLD.

THE. Solution Of tho Difference In
Weight Of the Box at cape Nome and
ut San Franeisco-The Glover Move
Of an Astute Young Lawyer.
One of the most interesting trials
that ever took place In any country
was that of James Stevens In the Cali
2ornia courts for theft The circum-
stances were as follows:
There were four prospectors In the
Wondike region when the gold fever
there was at Its height, among whom
Stevens was one. They 'struck II
R1ch." divided up and started out for
the United States. Just before leav.
ing Stevens got into faro game and
aost everything he had. Winter was
coming on and he bade fair to starve
unless something was done for him.
30 the other three decided to pay him
30 much to guard their dust on the
ship and pay his way home to San
francisco. They each had their share
Of dust and nuggets accurately
weighed and then put them into q
common pile. pending. of course, their
Eeapportionmento on reaching port
This they placed In a strong box
: which they nailed up and sealed care
4ullY, 1t was Stevens duty to watch
this by day and sleep by 1t by night
MntI the destination was reached.
There was exactly 200 pounds avoirdu.
pois of the gold, sworn TO by a regular
weigher. 1t was worth great deal
-pf money. -.
Well. everything went along smoothly
until San Francisco was reached. Ste
wens seeming to appreciate what his
Former partners were doing for him
and guarding his trust jeaiously. When
ai,e ship came into port the boz was
ammediately removed. under the super
vision OF Stevens. to place OF re-
ggeighfng. so that each could take hfk
share again and deduct so much for
stevens pay. r.
aesswas found that instead Of having
500 pounds of gold as before there was
s@ow only a fraction over 59S pounds.
The partners were ioath to distrust
stevens and had 1t reweighed twice.
+ A3ut with the same result each time.
y Reassured as they were Of bis guilt
and having contempt for such fngrati.
a1de they Immediately swore out q
Earrant for his arrest He all the
Zine protested his Innocence. but was
mot able to account for the loss. Z i
Tba poor fellow was: thrown into
NHason and held for trial Not having
amy money or friends, he gave mp ell
hope Of being acquitted, as the cir
ssumstantial evidence seemed absolute
Nv against him. A young lawyer was
amppofnted by the court to defend him,
his young man, Thaddeus Wayne by
Mame, set to work on the seemingly
hopeless Job with great enthusiasm
staas be had few clients anyhow and
enty OF time. .. ;5.s :5:s s9.
s@ THE case was soon called and all the
aarcumstanfiaI evidence set forth
u Wayne did NOT even question: Q wit
3less. z. 3*s: 5is : ,. Sss
When all the testimony was II
requested the Judge TO allow
IS 1szasa 10 quality Samuel IL. johnson
eaefer SS physics Ia high school. "a,
IN expert Ritnesa judge. not zee
s ing any resS Physics % TIM
d asse1 pasaab Hss the youni
azaan when u uiIar giimmer 50 Oh.
M satteE'g eye persuaded him 20 5hnnso,
ss Soy. johnson was placed on th.
and the following eolloquy ca
Eith yhaf does pfyBics deal r.
natural phenomena. or tisl
essangsa ID tho stato os eoDdition 8
n affer. z jss
Does tbs weight Oh ID person cnang,
ha changes liis location on %,
rta ~ S5s5
g
Just how does that happen. amt
saaoW much does the weight changer
he weight OF any body ~ creates
ae the poles of the earth. al they an
the nearest points % tbs center.
gets less and less the farther We tray
eI toward the equator, for We 90 ava.
TIL from the center. This effect III zen
3s haneed by the rotation De the earth
bodies tending to nfy of more At iii
equator than near the poles slls com
sluation of tlsfae we raaiso 4 i, a i