The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-08-01
A Scientific
Defense

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! One of the most interesting trials
that ever took place in any countr.
was that Of James Stevens in the Cali
fornia courts, for theft. The circum-
! stances were as follows:
| There were four prospectors in the
Klondike region, when the gold fever
there was at It's height, among whom
Stevens was one. They "struck it
rich,' divided up, and started out for
the United States Just before leaving,
Stevens got into. a faro game and lost
everything he had. Winter was coming
on, and he bid fair to starve unless
/ something was done for him. So the
other three decided TO pay him SO much
70 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 a common Pile, pending
of course their reapportlonment on
reaching port.
This they placed in a strong box,
which they nailed up and sealed care
| fully. 1t was Stevens 5 duty TO watch
this by day and sleep by it by night
until the destination was reached
There was exactly six hundred pounds
avoirdupois of the gold, sworn to by
a regular weigher. 1t was worth a
great deal of money.
/ I'll l. al 60 aa+h h.
/ ly until San Francisco was reached,
| former partners were doing for him, and
guarding his trust jealousy. When
| the ship came into port the box was
Immediately removed, under the super
vision of Stevens, to place for re-
weighing. so that each could take his
share again and deduct so much for
Steven pay.
1t was found that instead of having
six hundred pounds of gold as before,
| there was now only a fraction over
FIVE hundred and ninety-eight pounds.
| The partners were loath to distrust
| Stevens. and so had it reweighed twice;
| but with the same result each time.
Reassured as they were of his guilt,
and having contempt for such ingratl-
tude, they Immediately swore out
warrant for his arrest. He all the time
| protested his innocence; but was not
able to account for the loss.
| The poor fellow was thrown into
| prison and held for trial. Not having
any money or friends, he gave up all
hope of being acquitted, as the circum
stantial evidence seemed absolutely
against him. A young lawyer was APP
pointed by the court to defend him.
This young man, Thaddeus Wayne by
name, set TO work on the seemingly
hopeless job with great enthusiasm, as
| he had few clients, anyhow, and plenty
| of time.
| The case was soon called and all the
| circumstantial evidence set forth.
/ Wayne did not even question witness.
| When all the testimony was in, Wayne
requested the judge to allow him
| to qualify Samuel L. johnson. teacher
| of physics in a high school, as an ex-
pert witness. The Judge, not seeing
any relation of physics to the theft,
| was about to refuse the young man,
when a peculiar glimmer in the latter's
| eve persuaded him to humor the boy
Johnson was placed on the stand, and
| the following colloquy ensued:
''With what does physics deal?'
''With natural phenomena, or the
| changes in the state or condition of
NATTER
''Does the weight of person change
| as he changes his location on the
earth?'
Eyes
f'Just how does that happen and
| how much does the weight change9'
1.-THE weight of any body is greatest
at the poles of the earth. as they are
| the nearest points of the center. It
gets less and less the farther we travel
toward the equator; for we go away
from the center This effect is en-
HANGED by the rotation of the earth,
dobies tending to fly off more at the
equator than near the poles. The COM
| bination of these two makes a body
| weigh one hundred and eighty
less at the equator than at the poles,
and proportionate amount for dis
tanees between.
About what fraction of its weight
would body lose in going from Cape
Nome, Alaska, TO San Franciseo2r
81 should say about one in three
| hundred
"'Then gold weighing six hundred
pounds in Nome could not possibly
weigh over FIVE hundred and ninety
| eight pounds here, could it?''-
cit could not
1t is needless to say that Stevens
| was acquitted on this evidence. His
former partners were So sorry of their
| recent suspicion. and so eager to make
amends, that they not only paid him
the salary they had promised, but set
| him up in business from their ample
| funds.
This fact is peculiar but perfectly
| in accord with reason. 1t is recognized
| by the United States government.
| Every time bullion is sent from Wash
ington to the New Orleans mint. GER
tain amount of weight is lost in the
mere act of transit. So. in order to
| get the same amount of metal in each
| coin, compensating weights or those
| specially ealbrated have to be used,
| or else special scales. If the weights
are made at Washington and sent to