Page:The World's Most Famous Court Trial - 1925.djvu/24

20 A—I got it from the Bible.

Q—Have you any opinion from what you have heard, whether Mr. Scopes taught evolution?

A—No, sir; I do not know anything about that.

Q—You have a prejudice against evolution, have not you?

A—Well, to some extent, I suppose I have.

Q—And against teaching it?

A—Yes, I am against teaching evolution—evolution of man, not evolution of the mind.

Q—Of the man?

A—Of the man, yes.

Q—But not of the mind?

A—No, sir.

Q—Do you think you would be a fair juror in this case, where Mr. Scopes is charged with teaching evolution?

A—I don't know, I would do the best I could.

Q—I think I know what kind of a mind you have got. I think you want to be perfectly fair. Mr. Scopes is here charged with teaching evolution. You have told us about your opinion on evolution. Now, you can tell better than the lawyers on either side, and better than I, or better than the judge, as to whether you think you would be a perfectly fair man to try Mr. Scopes.

The court—Do you think you could be fair?

A—Yes, sir.

The court—All right.

Mr. Darrow:

Q—If you were unlucky enough to be a defendant, would you think you would get a perfectly fair trial from one who feels as you do?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—Have you any feeling or prejudice against a man because he believes in evolution?

A—No, sir.

Q—Or because he disagrees with you in religious matters?

A—No, sir; that is his own affair.

Q—What?

A—That is his own affair; no, sir.

Mr. Darrow—May we have a minute for consultation?

Q—If you were on a jury, would you care what anybody else thought about it, so long as you did what you thought was right?

A—Yes, sir. I would just do whatever I thought was right and would be what I would do, if I thought I was right, I would still be right, I would stay right.

Mr. Darrow—We will excuse him.

The court—Excused by defendant.

R. L. Gentry, being examined on his voir dire, testified as follows:

Examination by the court:

Q—Mr. Gentry, raise your right hand please. Do you solemnly swear you will make true answers to all such questions as may be asked you in the present inquiry?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—Are you a householder and freeholder of Rhea County?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—Are you related to Walter White, the prosecutor in this case?

A—No, sir.

Q—Have you formed or expressed an opinion as to the guilt of innocence of the defendant in this case?

A—No, sir.

Q—You don't know anything of the facts, Mr. Gentry?

A—Not only what I have heard.

Q—Do you know whether that is true or not?

A—Only what I have seen in the papers.

Q—Sometimes you don't know whether everything you read in the papers is true or not?

A—No, sir.

Q—You have no fixed or definite opinion, present ideas as to his guilt or innocence?

A—No, sir.

Q—Could you go in the jury box and try the case according to the law and the evidence?

A—Yes, sir.

The court—Competent juror.

Gen. Stewart—Ask him about his relationship to Mr. Scopes.

The Court—I did that.

Gen. Stewart—You asked him about the prosecutor, but not about Scopes, the defendant.