Holding Putter

It took almost three weeks to track Wheezer Gantt down. He had been sleeping in an abandoned mica mine shack in Lincoln County, about twelve miles from Bethlehem Church. Investigating officers were told that a waif had been seen wandering in the neighborhood, and he was suspected to have been using the mine cabin. Although it took two weeks to locate Wheezer’s hideout, in less than eight hours of surveillance, the 17-year old was spotted approaching the cabin, and he was arrested offering no resistance. Concealed inside an old pair of work boots was almost $400, mainly one-dollar bills. There was no sign of Preacher’s briefcase or anything which directly connected him to the crime or crime scene with the exception of the money, which Wheezer insisted he had picked up doing odd jobs. Since he was unable to indicate any former employer, the money was deemed to be sufficient evidence to warrant that he be placed in custody, and he was held in a juvenile center detention pending an appearance in Juvenile Court.

Wheezer’s past record of skirmishes with the law did not work in his favor. The Juvenile Court Prosecutor was a stern ex-Marine Bifford Jacobs, who exhibited little patience or sympathy to Wheezer Gantt’s plight. The defendant was ordered to appear before a Juvenile Judge for resolution. In some respects this decision worked in Wheezer’s favor since his case could have been forwarded to an adult court appearance if he had received prior convictions.

In normal circumstances, Wheezer might also have been remanded to his home setting, pending his Adjudicatory Hearing, but since there was no home setting, he was retained in the Detention Center. He was assigned Defense Counsel, August Claireborne III, Esquire, a recent Law School graduate and an up-and-comer, anxious to move on to higher and greater goals than Adjudicatory Hearings.

The case was rather clean cut. A juvenile with a rather checkered past had been apprehended with approximately the amount of money in his possession that had been stolen from a church in a neighborhood where he formerly resided. The defendant claimed he was nowhere near the church, and the money found in the boot had been gained from doing odd jobs, although no employer could be found who would validate his story.

In short, the Prosecutor wanted the seventeen year old off the streets, and the Defense appealed for him to be set free due to lack of evidence concerning his whereabouts at the time of the crime. Defense Attorney August Claireborne III decided not to allow Wheezer to testify in his own behalf since he might incriminate himself and do more harm than good.

A day before the Hearing Prosecutor Bifford Jacobs called Reverend and Mrs. Lamb to gain their permission to allow Sammy to testify, if needed.

It had been almost a month since Sammy’s last seizure had occurred, and Preacher reluctantly agreed. Mama wondered if the Judge would allow her to stand at Sammy’s side when and if he testified. Prosecutor Bifford assured her that the Judge would be lenient given Sammy’s handicapped nature.

Toward the conclusion of the Prosecution’s case against Wheezer, Prosecutor Bifford called Sammy to the stand to testify. Sammy balked at being sworn in because he had been taught never to swear. Mama assured him that in this situation swearing was permissible, and Mr. Bifford said, “Could you state your name please?”

“Francis Samuel Lamb, but everyone calls me Sammy.”

“Thank-you, Sammy. Do you live with Reverend and Mrs. Lamb in the parsonage directly across the road from Bethlehem Methodist Church?”

“Yes, my brother Jake lives there, too. My big brother used to live there, but now he goes to school at Duke.”

“Thank-you, Sammy. Now on the afternoon of Sunday, June 17, 1951 during the song service at the church that afternoon, where exactly were you?”

“I was on my front porch sitting eggsjackly in the middle of the swing listening to the Choirmasters’ music.”

“And Sammy what did you see which caught your attention?”

“I saw someone running across the lawn toward the woods carrying Daddy’s briefcase.”

“And do you see that person in this courtroom?”

“Yes.”

“And can you point directly to him?”

Sammy raised his left hand and pointed directly to Wheezer.

A few of the courtroom guests looked at each other and nodded as if Sammy’s testimony was authentic and convincing.

“Thank-you, Sammy,” Prosecutor Bifford concluded.

The Judge asked Attorney Claireborne if he wished to question Sammy, and he immediately went for the kill.

“Now Mr. Lamb,” he began. “Do you ever suffer from seizures?”

Sammy looked at Mama. She nodded. “Yes, sometimes,” he said.

“And did you have one on the afternoon of Sunday, June 17, 1951?”

“Yes.” Sammy answered.

‘Was that seizure before or after the event when you allegedly saw someone running?”

“After, I think.”

“Now, don’t you think that what you allegedly saw was only a bad dream which you had while you were having that seizure?”

“No, I don’t,” Sammy replied.

“And how can you be so sure of yourself, Mr. Lamb?” Attorney Claireborne III inquired.

“Because I don’t ever dream when I have a seizure,” Sammy explained.