Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-03-25
Mr.. Sayre to Mr.. Harmon.

Mrs. Badl.igh?"
No Sir, l never noticed it, she
replied.
THAT will do then, you may take
your seat again. and she returned
a little bewildered to be sure, but
very confident that her boy Jesse
was no thief, and very indignant that
he was accused Of such an outrage
Gus thing. iet
The next witness was Frank In
ness whose appearance, like that of
Mr.. Armstrong excited no little cur
iosity, for he was generally thought
to be somewhat deficient in mental
power; indeed it was said of him
that on one occasion when he had
been cited to appear in court to an
!, swer to a charge of some sort, he
had been cleared because it was made
to appear that he was non compos
mentis at the time; a plea which
seemed to be justified by the subse-
; quent conduct of Mr.. Inness, who
went about among his friends, chuck
ling over the sharpness of his attor-
ney, Nj. A. Harmon, who had won
for him the much priced clearance on
the ground of these mental deficien-
cies which, it must be admitted was
an extraordinary exhibition of that
remarkable cuteness for which the
distinguished lawyer was so justly
celebrated.
Mr.. Inness it has been stated
here that you were passing in front
of Killum and Dressam's meat mar
ket, when, as has been alleged, the
defendant, Jesse Badleigh, came out
of the market having in his hand a
ten dollar bill. Did you notice the
defendant when he come QUIT"
"Yes Sir, l seen him come out OF
the market an I heard young Cobb
ask him to let him see the bill he
had in his hand,' affirmed the wit,
ness.
/, Did he do so?"
"He did
l What took place after that?'
: smilingly enquired Mr.. Sayre.
Il seen Jim Cobb lookin' at it fol
. a minute an then l seen him slip il
into his pocket when Jesse turned
> his head around to answer Hiram
E Schockey who had just come around
the corner of the street an was call
I in his name; an then he takes an
' ot<er bill he'd had in his left hand
all the time, an let on it was the
n same bill when Jesse turned an
G reached out his hand for his money
a This unlocked for testimony from
s lnness created a sensation in !, thu
q room; it made everybody sit up will
increased interest for up to that time
things had not looked good fo
Jesse, Notwithstanding his mother
Z evidence, for Mr. Armstrong; testi
, mony had been very damaging tt
q him.
e did the defendant scrutinize tn,
= bill when Cobb handed it back t,
him?" ]; Ia
r He didn't do nothin' to it he jus
;. tucked it into his pocket withou
O ever lookin' at it,
e Il believe / have nothing furthe
l care to ask the Witness said MI
7 Sayre, and then turning to Inness
7 You may stand aside Mr.. Inness."
wait a moment" interjected MI
!, Harmon, whose knowledge of tn
q supposed intellectual weakness o
T the witness, led him to think tina
n perhaps he might be able to breal
# down, or at least weaken the testi
+ mony which had just been given.
+ You have stated that Cobb afte
Q receiving the bill from the defen
Il dant, changed it for another; no,
n could you tell it was not the sam
! bill?"
D why. the bill Jesse let him tax
was different lookin' from the one h
d give back to him, it was cleaner ar
r it had a piece torn off of one corne
4 of it," answered the witness.
D. Then it was that Mr.. Harmon, cor
N WINGED that nothing favorable to tn
lie prosecution was likely to be got on
t. of the witness by direct question
lie and answers and doubtless irritate
)r somewhat by this fact, attempted
play upon the assumed weakness @
lie his victim.
Of 'Inness?" he said, "do you kno'
of who is the author of your being? VIII
made you?"
IN Now it happened that Frank In
ut ness had heard somewhere of a
ct incident which was said to have OF
lie Cured in a court in another stat
lg where, under similar conditions, on
of the counsel had put this sam
Ill question to a witness with exactl
d. the same object in view, and tn
r. question with the reply made to
III was still fresh in his mind, SO whe