The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1914-11-19
AHAPPY
MEETING
By EVERETT P. CLARKE


Severance. or Edward Todd, or a mum
Der of other names which might he
| applied to the prisoner. was called
The prosecuting attorney expected to
prove that he was the notorious Jake
Severance who had committed any
number of confidence games and was
the slickest operator in that line in
America. The trial was to come off in
the county seat. where he had been
escape those who were after him. 1t
was at the height of the haying sea,
son. and the farmers We're all endeav-
oring to get in their crops before the
next rain. Consequently there was
difficulty in making up a jury. for
whenever man had a valid excuse
for not serving he awaited himself of
it Finally the panel stuck at the
twelfth juryman.
A farmer entered the courtroom and
looked about him with that wild glance
common among countrymen who find
themselves in an unfamiliar position
rs this yere reel estate offis?" he
asked
NO, it's a courtroom" replied the
sheriff.
ooh! l thort it was a reel estate
offs. | want to buy farm"
do you belong about here?'
mo. l come from Canada. got
tired Twin under the British flag. and
| want to git property yere'
Il say, my friend. how would you
like to help US ont as juryman? You
will get Il dollar day for sitting still
and doing nothing"
Il don't know nothin' about juries:
never sot on one.
The farmer was persuaded, and the
jury was complete. When the prison
er was brought forth for trial he cast
sweeping glance over the twelve anx.
iously
The man from Canada seemed IN
easy in finding himself in Il jury box
and kept looking about him here and
there rs if he feared something awful
was about to be sprung upon him.
Jacob Severance. you are accused
off,
II amt Jacob Severance: I'm Tom
Barker"
The farmer iuryman at this was seen
to start
Where do you hail from
Ontario. Canada"
The farmer arose from his seat. look.
ed fixedly at the prisoner and said:
rs you the Tom Barker that run
away with my darter:"
81 run away with Il gal named Bar
ker. but never seen her dad"
"Mathildy Barker"
Yes, my wife's names Mathildy."
"Whar's my darter?" asked the old
man pathetically.
shes to hum with the kids. while
am tryin' to make enough as farm help
to keep 'em alive"
Tell me whar | kin find her done
her big wrong when i told her she
shouldn't marry man | had never
seen Her mother has been most heart
broken since she went away and pinin'
for her all the time
The court business stood still while
this dialogue WAS in progress. When
it had come to this point the prosecut
ing attorney said:
Your honor. | have no objection to
this man taking the witness stand to
clear up what has evidently been u
mistake. But since he is a juryman be
must be excused as such"
\ new juryman was found and the
stranger took the witness stand He
told Il pathetic story of how his only
daughter. who was schOOlteacher
across the international line. had writ
ten that she WIS going to marry one
Tom Barker. n young farmer who was
trying to pay for Il farm he had bought
mostly on credit Her father object
ed to the match on the ground of pov
erty and tried to stop her by telling
her that if she persisted in the matter
she would never again be welcomed
home. From that day he had never
seen or heard from her. Then he broke
down and wept.
Handkerchiefs appeared all over the
courtroom.
Your honor" said the lawyer who
had the prisoners case in charge, this
is evidently case of mistaken identi
ty The man the police is looking for
is very different person from the
prisoner move that the case be dis
missed"
The judge. who noticed that the
sympathies of all were with the poor
farmer and his sOn-in-law. consented.
and the case was taken off the docket
Then the farmer went up to his son
in-law. put out his hand and told him
how sorry he was that he had taken
such harsh measures with his daugh
ter But" he added. I've sold the
farm for good price. and I've come
down yere to buy another. Well set
tie among these good people. work the
farm together. and when I'm gone
Mahuldy shall have it. Meanwhile
there's plenty for all of u.s.
Half dozen persons gathered
around the speaker. all having farms
they would sell-juSt TO have him set
tie among them-but be said the first
thing he would do was to 60 to his
daughter Then he would come back
and look at the properties for sale. He
left with his son-in-law. and neither of
them returned The son-in-law was
the crook the police were after. and
the farher-in-law was another. the two
having long worked their games to-
gethpr