Circumstantial

The Springfield Umcm tells a story of the late George W. Stearns. He was defending a young fellow for larceiiy, the evidence against whom was only circmnstantial. Stearns urged that oircumstantial evidence ought neverto convict a man. "Why, '' said tho counsel, "when I was a boy I remera ber a playmate of mine who, while hi.s párente were absent, went to the pantry and nearly devoured a big custard pie before he thonght of the paternal strap. When he did, he looked around for same means of hiding the traces of hi.s guilt. He saw the family cat in the corner, and taking puss by the ueck, and carefully smearing her paws with the custard, took the guilty cat out into the back yard and shot her. As the shotgun rang out the boy observed to me with a chuckle, "There goes onemore viotim of circuinstautial evidence.'" The jury disagreeci.