Page:The World's Most Famous Court Trial - 1925.djvu/294

290 Q—1927?

A—Some time after creation, before the flood.

Q—1,927 added to it?

A—The flood is 2,300 and something, and creation, according to the estimate there, is further back than that.

Q—Then you don't understand me. If we don't act together on it, look at the book. This is the year of grace 1925, isn't it? Let us put down 1,925. Have you a pencil?

(One of the defense attorneys hands Mr. Darrow a pencil.)

The Witness—Add to that 4,004?

Mr. Darrow—Yes.

A—That is the date (referring to the Bible) given here on the first page, according to Bishop Usher, which I say I only accept because I have no reason to doubt it. In that page he gives it.

Q—1,925 plus 4,004 is 5,929 years. If a fallible person is right in his addition. Now, then, what do you subtract from that?

A—That is the beginning.

Q—I was talking about the flood.

A—2,348 on that, we said.

Q—Less than that?

A—No; subtract that from 4,000; it would be about 1,700 years.

Q—That is the same thing?

A—No; subtracted it is 2,300 and something before the beginning of the Christian era, about 1,700 years after the creation.

The Policeman—Let us have order.

Mr. Darrow—-If I add 2,300 years, that is the beginning of the Christian era?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—If I add 1,925 to that I will get it, won't I?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—That makes 4,262 years. If it is not correct, we can correct it.

A—According to the Bible there was a civilization before that, destroyed by the flood.

Q—Let me make this definite. You believe that every civilization on the earth and every living thing, except possibly the fishes, that came out of the ark were wiped out by the flood?

A—At that time.

Q—At that time. And then, whatever human beings, including all the tribes, that inhabited the world, and have inhabited the world, and who tun their pedigree straight back, and all the animals, have come onto the earth since the flood?

A—Yes.

Q—Within 4,200 years. Do you know a scientific man on the face of the earth that believes any such thing?

A—I cannot say, but I know some scientific men who dispute entirely the antiquity of man as testified to by other scientific men.

Q—Oh, that does not answer the question. Do you know of a single scientific man on the face of the earth that believes any such thing as you stated, about the antiquity of man?

A—I don't think I have ever asked one the direct question.

Q—Quite important, isn't it?

A—Well. I don't know as it is.

Q—It might not be?

A—If I had nothing else to do except speculate on what our remote ancestors were and what our remote descendants have been, but I have been more interested in Christians going on right now, to make it much more important than speculation on either the past or the future.

Q—You have never had any interest in the age of the various races and people and civilization and animals that exist upon the earth today? Is that right?

A—I have never felt a great deal of interest in the effort that has been made to dispute the Bible by the speculations of men, or the investigations of men.

Q—Are you the only human being on earth who knows what the Bible means?

Gen. Stewart—I object.

The Court—Sustained.

To which ruling of the court counsel for the defendant duly excepted.

Mr. Darrow—You do knew that there are thousands of people who profess to be Christians who believe the earth is much more ancient and