A Long Time Dead

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 16, 20 April 1905, Page 20

A Long Time Dead

A somewhat startling answer was given not long ago to ia Judge of Probate who, in the course of a will case, asked the chief witness, a very old but \igorous Irishman : ' Have you any brothers or sisters ? ' ' None, your Eomor,' said the witness . 'my only brother died a hundred and fifty years ago.' 1 What's that ? ' exclaimed the Judge. ' Witness, you 'are too old a roan to indulge in such trifling. This is no yla.ee for pleasantries.' ' I'm not trifling, your honor, My father married when he wias nineteen, and soon afterward had a son, who died in infancy. Becoming a widower before he was thirty, my father married again, when he was fe"enty-fhc ; arid during the same year had a second son, myself. Now, whetlher I look it or not, I am ninety-four years of age, as can be proved by the entry in orr flamily Bible and the register of Baptisms in the oliil church at home. If you add ninety-four to fiftysix, the number of years my father's iirst son had been tl-oaa before I was born, you will find that the sum is just one hifrHrett and fifty. So, 'twas not fooling j[ was, T>ut telling the Straight truth when I said my only brother died a hundred amd fifty years ago.' ' Your explanation is satisfactory, witness,' commented the Judge ; ' but y>ou will admit that the Court had reasoln to foubt your seriousness. Your brother has been a Bong*— a very long time dead.'