The Detroit times., 1916-07-15

Lne II-year-old daughter OF Senator
Mason. Roses father decides ths,
n:trument ior revsnse IN e on nIns' his arei e
enemy. Editor Fletcher. The senator
hss hss,: Tom: youth OF 20. arrested @ 70,
district attorneys ofnce. he H. hay
Ing the charge pushed with all th'
yindietiveness OF the angry man whe
ney, nshtins what he beiieves 10 b,
hopeless cause. is conducting {
ssarchins cross-exsmination OF Mrs
nnrs Mn.on' he ASKS ,t,,. her p who was ,nln tn
Her answer Is; Il don't recall"
MRS. Mason" exclaimed Davcn
port. do you mean to tell the court
that any mother can forget such i'm
portant circumstances attending the
birth OF her only child? You can
not remember the name OF the doc
tor or the nurse? Who is your fam
lily physician7"
Doctor Colfax."
How long has he attended your
family"
: IL don't know. Since my mar
riage, [ think"
nth NC IuuSt ndNc Eittuutu NOu
when Rose was born and he mus,
have some record OF her birth, even
though he seems to have neglected
= TO make mention OF It In the way
prescribed by law. I will ask leave
TO call Doctor Colfax. He is"
mo-" again broke In Mrs Mason
with yisibly increasing nery BUSINESS
II remember now that he was rot In
attendance
"You did not call In your own fam
lily doctor then? And you cannot re
member who was called in7 There
have never been more than four
physicians At q time In Masonburg
II will be an easy time In Mason
burg II viii be necessary TO sub
pens only three others. In the
meantime"
"Your honor," cried the distric,
attorney, noting Mrs. Mason's sspec,
OF panic terror. "I have listened pa
tiently to this line Of irrelevant. In
competent and immaterial question
ing. because I know my learned op
ponent has a hopeless case. But the
time OF the court is being tampered
with. ! request 10 know what the
name Of any physician has to dc
with the fact that Thomas Fletcher
Is guilty OF abduction. and"
Thomas Fletcher has not yet
been proven guilty OF abduction
your honor" contradicted Daven
port. The whole question OF his
possible guilt hinges on Rose Ma
sons being less than eighteen wears
old There Is no court record OF
her age. The date must be estab.
lished by contemporary witnesses
and by similar testimony. The only
known witness Is a woman who ap-
parently recalls no detail OF her
child's birth except that she says
she. three weeks later, made an en-
try in a family Bible. The Bible,
your honor. Is a sacred and unim.
peachably truthful book But its
sacred unimpeachability does not in.
clude the records that are placed In
II by fallible mortals. Especially, by
woman whose memory has proven
so eccentrically defective as this
witness. crave permission TO go
on with my questions
II object" cried the district attor.
ney.
objection overruied," decided the
Judge, after a moments ccnsidera-
tion. Go on, Mr.. Davenport"
The district attorney took excep-
tion. The exception was noted.
Davenport resumed:
Mrs. Mason. you have testified to
making n certain entry In your fam
lily Bible. You were not under oath
when you wrote that entry. You are
under oath now. Do you solemnly
swear. In tho presence of Almighty
God, that Rose Mason was born on
September 3, 1852"
IL don't know" whispered Mrs.
Mason. greenish white and painting.
Think. madam" urged Daven-
port, with fearful earnestness.
think. before you answer When
you speak under oath II is not to a
mere lawyer you are speaking, nor
oven to the court. but to your Gre
ator. To the Creator 10 whom you
must one day give account OF that
solemn tath's sanctity or violation
ask you again--was Rose Mason
born on September .. 1897"
"No--no!" whispered the CHASTITY
and shuddcring woman.
A gasp ran through the courtroom
The district attorney lurched TO his
feet. but sat down again.
1.-The records-on June I, 1sss.'
mumbled the witness.
Gentlemen of the fury" proclaim.
ed Davenport. his voice ringing with
glad excitement "You have seen
the marriage record. II Ia dated
June 2. 1915 AZ the time of her
marriage Rose Mason was eighteen
years and one day old. She was ot
legal age to marry. The charge OF
addiction falls TO pieces. The"
"I objccti" bswled the dumfoupde ed
district attorney. Tho witness has