Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 24.pdf/474

 Fifteen Minutes least, is self-evident, and again spoke for free aerial criculation, after due consideration, it must be hoped. It may be added that, as law has

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always been administered from a coign of vantage on terra firma, that the bulk of legal decisions is found to favor the other theory, that of sovereignty.

Cambridge, Mass.

Fifteen Minutes BY EDGAR WHITE

THE arguments in the matter of the Commonwealth vs. "Pug" Kennedy for murder were concluded and the case submitted to the jury at 11.45 p.m. "Pug" offered the rather plausible defense that it would be im possible for him to have shot Mine Superintendent O'Donnell at Camp 44 at 6 p.m., and fifteen minutes later be over in Jack Cardigan's "Hole-in-the-Wall," drinking ten-cent red eye. Cardigan's oasis was was in the heart of Tiffton, a mile from Camp 44. Witness after witness swore so positively that they had seen "Pug" drinking there at 6.15 that finally the Commonwealth ad mitted it. Its own evidence had proved the killing occurred at six. So that fifteen minutes had become a control ling feature of the case. The defense had shown that on the mile between the town and camp were numerous high hills to climb, barbed wire fences to crosss and that there was always more or less difficulty in getting over the tracks in the yards, because of the constant switching of coal cars. While the jury was out the lawyers seated about the tables fell to discus sing the general misapprehension as to what might be done in a limited time. Captain William Greer said he was convoying a flock of recruits to the

Union army upon one occasion when he was attacked by guerillas, who rode through and all around his men. The regular soldiers held together and by their coolness and precision of aim finally beat the enemy off. The fight was so fierce, and so many things were happening that the Captain said his guess was that the engagement had lasted an hour. On consulting with the men who had looked at their watches, how ever, the affair was over inside of fif teen minutes. The Judge told of a lawyer who had won a big case by stopping in the middle of his argument and letting a juryman hold his watch. This was to show how long a time fifteen minutes was under suspension. It easily convinced the jury that the railroad engine had ample time for its sparks to set fire to the destroyed building, and they brought in a verdict for the plaintiff for all he claimed. A man who had come near being drowned said that were he to have written what he saw and felt while un conscious it would have taken an hour to read it. From the time he had tum bled out of the boat until resuscitated the hands on the dial had traveled just a quarter way round. There was a knock on the jury room