Page:The World's Most Famous Court Trial - 1925.djvu/290

286 A—I believe what the Bible says. I suppose you mean that the earth stood still?

Q—I don't know. I am talking about the Bible now.

A—I accept the Bible absolutely.

Q—The Bible says Joshua commanded the sun to stand still for the purpose of lengthening the day, doesn't it, and you believe it?

A—I do.

Q—Do you believe at that time the entire sun went around the earth?

A—No, I believe that the earth goes around the sun.

Q—Do you believe that the men who wrote it thought that the day could be lengthened or that the sun could be stopped?

A—I don't know what they thought.

Q—You don't know?

A—I think they wrote the fact without expressing their own thoughts.

Q—Have you an opinion as to whether or not the men who wrote that thought—

Gen. Stewart—I want to object, your honor; it has gone beyond the pale of any issue that could possibly be injected into this lawsuit, except by imagination. I do not think the defendant has a right to conduct the examination any further and I ask your honor to exclude it.

The Court—I will hear Mr. Bryan.

The Witness—It seems to me it would be too exacting to confine the defense to the facts; if they are not allowed to get away from the facts, what have they to deal with?

The Court—Mr. Bryan is willing to be examined. Go ahead.

Mr. Darrow—Have you an opinion as to whether—whoever wrote the book, I believe it is, Joshua, the Book of Joshua, thought the sun went around the earth or not?

A—I believe that he was inspired.

Mr. Darrow—Can you answer my question?

A—When you let me finish the statement.

Q—It is a simple question, but finish it.

The Witness—You cannot measure the length of my answer by the length of your question.

(Laughter in the courtyard.)

Mr. Darrow—No, except that the answer be longer.

(Laughter in the courtyard.)

A—I believe that the Bible is inspired, an inspired author, whether one who wrote as he was directed to write understood the things he was writing about, I don't know.

Q—Whoever inspired it? Do you think whoever inspired it believed that the sun went around the earth?

A—I believe it was inspired by the Almighty, and He may have used language that could be understood at that time.

Q—Was—

The Witness—Instead of using language that could not be understood until Darrow was born.

(Laughter and applause in the courtyard.)

Q—So, it might not, it might have been subject to construction, might it not?

A—It might have been used in language that could be understood then.

Q—That means it is subject to construction?

A—That is your construction. I am answering your question.

Q—Is that correct?

A—That is my answer to it.

Q—Can you answer?

A—I might say, Isaiah spoke of God sitting upon the circle of the earth.

Q—I am not talking about Isaiah.

The Court—Let him illustrate, if he wants to.

Mr. Darrow—Is it your opinion that passage was subject to construction?

A—Well, I think anybody can put his own construction upon it, but I do not mean that necessarily that is a correct construction, I have answered the question.

Q—Don't you believe that in order to lengthen the day it would have been construed that the earth stood still?

A—I would not attempt to say what would have been necessary, but I know this, that I can take a glass of water that would fall to the ground without the strength of my hand and to the extent of the glass