The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-08-27
CHARGED WITH THEFT
A Queer TriaIln Which Was Used
a Queer Defense.
SHIPPING A CASE OF GOLD.

I fNG &0SS HSsSssSNs tSt4a5
SHIPPING A CASE OF GOLD.
The Solution Of the Difference In
Weight Of the Box at Cape Nome and
at San Francisco-The Clever 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
fornia courts for theft. The circum-
stances were as follows:
There were four prospectors in the
Klordike region when the gold fever
there was at its height. among whom
Stevens was one. They struck it
rich" divided up and started out for
the United States. Just before leav-
ing Stevens got into q faro game and
lost everything he had. Winter was
coming on and he bade fair to starve
unless something was done for him.
So the other three decided &c pay him
so 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 a
conmon pile. pending, Of course, their
rcapportionment on reaching port.
This they placed in a strong box
which they nailed up and sealed care
fully. 1t was Stevens duty to watch
this by day and sleep by it by night
until the destination was reached.
There was exactly 200 pounds avolrdu-
pois Of the gold. sworn TO by a regular
weigher. 1t was worth a great deal
Of money.
Well, everything went along smoothly
until San Francisco was reached, Ste
vens seeming to appreciate what his
former partners were doing for him
and guarding his trust jealously. When
the ship came into port the box was
Immediately removed, under the super
vision of Stevens, to a place Of re-
weighing, SO that each could take his
share again and deduct SO much for
Stevens pay.
1t was found that instead Of having
GOO pounds of gold as before there was
now only a fraction over 593 pounds.
The partners were loath to distrust
Stevens and had 1t reweighed twice,
but with the same result each time.
Reassured as they We're Of his guilt
and having contempt for such ingrati-
tude, they Immediately swore out a
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 cir
cumstantial evidence seemed absolute
ly against him. A young lawyer was
appointed by the court to defend him.
This young man, Thaddeus Wayne by
name, set to work on the seemingly
hopeless job with great enthusiasm,
us he had few clients anyhow and
plenty of time.
The case was soon called and all the
clrcumstantial evidence set forth
Wayne did not even question a wit
ness
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 expert witness. The Judge. not see
= Ing any relation of physics to The
theft, was about. to refuse the young
! man when a peculiar glimmer In thu
latter's eye persuaded him to humol
the boy. johnson was placed on thu
stand, and the following colloquy en-
sued:
with what does physics deal"
with natural phenomena, or th,
changes In the state or condition o
matter"
Does the weight OF a person chung
as he changes his location on TIL
earth? 2"
Eyes"
"Just how does that happen. an,
how much does the weight changer
s.The weight Of any body is creates
ut the poles Of the earth. as they ar
Z the nearest points to the center. /
/, gets less and less the farther we tray
ell toward the equator, for we so ava.
from the center This effect is en-
HANGED by the rotation OF the earth
a bodies tending to fy of more at th
equator than near the poles The CON
!. blnntion Of these two makes a bod.
weigh one, two hundred-and-eighty
4 ninth less at tue equator than at th
poles and a proportionate amount 70
n distances between.
, About what fraction OF its weigh
would q body lose In going from Cap
!, Nome, Alaska, to San FranciscoYn
~ should say about one In 300"
ssTshen gold weighing Compounds \
Nome could not possibly weigh owe
SOB pounds here, could it7"
Z could not."'
Its is needless5to say that Stevens wa
Z ncquitted on this evidence. His forme
partners were so sorry of their receK
3 ! suspicion and SO eager to make amend
g lsthat they not only paid himSthe salar
they had promised him, blt set hi
Y mp In business from their ample fund,
4 This factSis peculiar. but perfectly
accord With sre IL IS recognize
I. by The United States government. 3,
I cry time bullion is sent from Washinl
Y ton 10 the New Orleans mint a3certai
amount of weight Is lost lii the mel
net q transit SD inSofder 70 getSith
TlsisaIie amount ofEmetat% In each col
cotnpensating weights ors thosespecia
lycniibrated hare 10 be used of Ell