Weird Tales/Volume 4/Issue 2/The Unnatural Son

The Unnatural Son

WE hope for the honor of human nature, that such events as the following do not often occur.

Among the indictments for theft, was one in which a person was a complainant against his own father, who, to appearance, was upward of seventy years of age. The party resided at Salisbury. The son testified that his father, during the absence of the former, broke open his house, and took, carried away, and concealed, sundry articles; that he procured a warrant, and went with an officer and found a part of the goods concealed in defendant's garret, etc. The officer, who is sheriff of the county, testified in substance the same as the complainant, in respect to the concealment of the goods; but on a cross-examination, said, that the door of the house was open, and no impediment was made to the search. On the part of the defendant, another son testified that the goods taken belonged to the father, and had been lent a number of years previous; that the father had divided his real property equally between himself and the complainant, taking a life-lease; that he had lent the articles in question to enable the son to prosecute his business; that differences had taken place, and the old man had requested these articles to be restored, but they were refused; that his father had gone to the house and taken them in open day, its being the only way in which they could be secured. When this witness was examined, the court enquired of the counsel for government, if he expected to impeach his testimony? It was answered, that it was not expected to impeach his character but do away his evidence; by proving that the son had purchased and paid for the articles. Its not appearing that any more than, a trespass would be proved, even if the old man did own the property, a nolle prosequi was entered, and the action was dismissed.

The indictment charged the old man with stealing to the amount of something like one hundred dollars. Had he been convicted, he must have been sentenced to hard labor in the state prison for a number of years. How unnatural, that a son, who, it appeared, had property gratuitously bestowed on him by his father, should seek for an occasion, in the presence of the public to swear to facts, a conviction for which must have consigned that father already on the brink of the grave to servitude and a dungeon!