Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West
The judge followed the charge of the prosecution rather indifferently,
being already familiar with it. Then he asked if there was any defense.
Colby took the floor. He denied that the prisoner was Jackson Dowd
Andrews, or that he had ever been in Vienna. It was a case of mistaken
identity. His client's liberty had been outraged by the stupid blunders
of the prosecution. He demanded the immediate release of the prisoner.
"Have you evidence to support this plea?" inquired Judge Wilton.
"We have, your honor. But the prosecution must first prove its charge."
The prosecution promptly responded to the challenge. The photograph of
Andrews, taken abroad, was shown. Two recognized experts in physiognomy
declared, after comparison, that it was undoubtedly the photograph of the
prisoner. Then Le Drieux took the stand. He read a newspaper account of
the robbery. He produced a list of the pearls, attested by the countess
herself. Each individual pearl was described and its color, weight and
value given. Then Le Drieux exhibited the pearls taken from Jones and,
except for the small ones in the brooch which had been presented to Mrs.
Montrose, he checked off every pearl against his list, weighing them
before the judge and describing their color.
During this, Judge Wilton continually nodded approval. Such evidence was
concise and indisputable, it seemed. Moreover, the defense readily
admitted that the pearls exhibited had all been in Jones' possession.
Then Colby got up to refute the evidence.
"Mr. Jones," he began, "has--"
"Give the prisoner's full name," said the judge.
"His full name is A. Jones."
"What does the 'A' stand for?"
"It is only an initial, your honor. Mr. Jones has no other name."
"Puh! He ought to have taken some other name. Names are cheap," sneered
the judge.
Colby ignored the point.
"Mr. Jones is a resident of Sangoa, where he was born. Until he landed at
San Francisco, fifteen months ago, he had never set foot on any land but
that of his native island.
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In a village there lived two men who had the self-same name. Both were named Claus. But one of them owned four horses, and the other owned only one horse; so to distinguish between them people called the man who had four horses Big Claus, and the man who had only one horse Little Claus. Now I'll tell you what happened to these two, for this is a true story.
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