Page:The World's Most Famous Court Trial - 1925.djvu/124

 Q—Did he teach this book, Huntter'sHunter's [sic] biology?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—Will you file that book as Exhibit 1 to your testimony?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—What school did he teach in, Mr. White?

A—The Rhea County Central High school, here in Dayton.

Q—Is that school supported by state and county funds?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—You say it was in this county, Rhea county?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—How long have you been superintendent of public instruction?

A—A few days more than six and a half years.

Q—Has Mr. Scopes been teaching in the high school here for more than a year?

A—No, sir, he taught last year only.

Q—Do you know when this last term of school that he taught was out?

A—May 1, 1925.

Q—Do you remember when the prosecution in this case was first begun, Mr. White?

A—May 5th—May 5th, 1925.

Q—Some three or four days after adjournment of the school?

A—Four days after the school completed its term.

Q—Did you have any conversation with him concerning this teaching of Hunter's biology, after the passage of this law or at any tine?

A—I talked with him about it on the afternoon of May 4th, 1925, the day before this—

Q—Trial?

A—This trial was started.

Q—He had already been arrested then?

A—No, sir, he had not been arrested.

Mr. Darrow—It was before the preliminary hearing?

Q—About the 5th of May, the warrant was sworn out. The 5th of May?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—When was the preliminary trial?

A—On Saturday, May 9.

Q—You talked with him then after school had adjourned?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—That was on the fourth of May?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—School adjourned on May 2?

A—The first of May, 1925.

Q—What was the conversation between you and the defendant Scopes as to the teaching of Hunter's biology?

Mr. Darrow—Was that after the defendant had had his trial?

Gen. Stewart—That is, of course, with reference to his admission that he committed the offense, prior to the trial.

Court—The admission that he taught it?

Gen. Stewart—Yes, sir. We think it is competent as an admission.

Mr. Darrow—It is.

Court—Proceed.

A—Mr. Scopes said that he taught this biology, and that he had reviewed the entire book.

Mr. Darrow—What is the last part of that statement.

Q—How is that?

A—That he had reviewed the en tire book during certain days in April, somewhere, after having taught it to the boys. That he had bought this book, and had reviewed the entire subject, as it is customary for the teacher to do, and among other things he said he could not teach that book without teaching evolution. And I defended the evolution statute, and he said—

Mr. Darrow—We except to that.

Court—No what you defended, but what you said.

A—The substance of what I said about this? I told Prof. Scopes that he had violated the Tennessee statutes.

Q—Were you at that time discussing this new law that was passed?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—That law was passed on the twenty-first of March, was it?

A—The twenty-first of March, of this year, and he said he couldn't teach biology without violating this law.

Q—And he said that in teaching