The Detroit times., 1916-07-17

mas rom youth OF ~, arrested toI
abduction and. as he controls the
district attorneys office. he Is hav-
Ing the charge pushed with all the
yindletiyeness OF the angry man who
ney. hghting what he believes 10 be
a hopeless cause. is conducting
searching cross-eNaminat OF Mrs
Mason lie asks her who was the
nurse at the time Rose was born.
Her answer Is: II don't recall"
Mrs. Mason" exclaimed Daven-
port. do you mean 10 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 IL your fam
lily physician"
Doctor Colfsx."
How long has he attended your
family?"
IL don't know Since my mar.
riage. think"
Then he must have attended you
when Rose was born and he must
have some record OF her birth. even
though he seems to have neglected
TO make mention OF IL in the way
prescribed by law will ask leave
10 call Doctor Colfax. He is"
mo" again broke in Mrs. Mason.
with visibly increasing nerv ousness.
81 remember now that he was rot In
attendance"
you did not cali in your own fam.
lily doctor then? And you cannot re-
member who was called In? There
have never been more than four
physicians at a time in Masonburg.
IL will be an easy time in Mason.
burg II viii, be necessary to sub
pena only three others, In the
meantime"
Your honor" cried the district
attorney, noting Mrs. Msson's aspect
OF panic terror, Il have listened pa
tiently TO this line OF irrelevant. in
competent and immaterial question.
ing. because know my learned op.
ponent has a hopeless case. But the
time OF the court is being tsmpered
with. request 10 know what the
name OF any physician has TO do
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 he sstab.
lished by contemporary witnesses
and by similar testimony. The only
known witness Is woman who sp-
parently recalls no detail OF her
child's birth except that she says
she, three weeks later, made an en-
try in family Bible. The Bible,
your honor. Is sacred and unim-
peachabIy truthful book. But its
sacred unimpeachabllity does not in.
clude the records that are placed In
IL by fallible mortals. Especially, by
a woman whose memory has proven
so eccentrically defective as this
witness. | crave permission 10 60
on with my questions
81 obJect!" cried the district attor-
ney.
objection overruled." 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 Il certain entry In your fam
lily Bible. You were not under oath
when you wrote that entry. You are
under oath now. Do you solcmnly
swear. In the presence OF Almighty
God. that Rose Mason was horn on
September 3, 1887"
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 10 the court, but to your Gre
ator. To the Creator 10 whom you
must one day give account OF that
solemn ta,h's sanciity or violation
ask you again-was Rose Mason
born on September ]. 1897"
Mono" whispered the CHASTITY
and shuddering woman.
A gasp ran through the courtroom.
The district attorney lurched TO his
feet. but sat down again.
1.-THE records-on June /. ls9S,"
mumbIed the witness.
Gentlemen OF the Jury" proclaim
ed Davenport. his voice ringing with
glad excitement You have seen
the marriage record. IL is dated
June 2. 1915. At the time OF her
marriage Rose Mason was eighteen
years and one day old. She was Of
legal age TO marry. The charge OF
abduction falls TO pieces. The"
IL object!" bawled the dumfounded
district attorney. The witness has