''Abe'' Lincoln's Yarns and Stories - University of Macau Library

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 82Abe Lincoln laid out this town. Over there where they are quarreling aboutthe lines, when he was locating the street, he straightened up from hisinstrument and said: 'If I run that street right through, it will cut three orfour feet off the end of ----'s house. It's all he's got in the world and henever could get another. I reckon it won't hurt anything out here if I skewthe line a little and miss him."'The line was "skewed," and hence the trouble, and more testimonyfurnished as to Lincoln's abounding kindness of heart, that would notwillingly harm any human being."WHEREAS," HE STOLE NOTHING.One of the most celebrated courts-martial during the War was that ofFranklin W. Smith and his brother, charged with defrauding thegovernment. These men bore a high character for integrity. At this time,however, courts-martial were seldom invoked for any other purpose than toconvict the accused, and the Smiths shared the usual fate of persons whosecases were submitted to such arbitrament. They were kept in prison, theirpapers seized, their business destroyed, and their reputations ruined, all ofwhich was followed by a conviction.The finding of the court was submitted to the President, who, after a carefulinvestigation, disapproved the judgment, and wrote the followingendorsement upon the papers:"Whereas, Franklin W. Smith had transactions with the Navy Departmentto the amount of a million and a quarter of dollars; and:"Whereas, he had a chance to steal at least a quarter of a million and wasonly charged with stealing twenty-two hundred dollars, and the questionnow is about his stealing one hundred, I don't believe he stole anything atall."Therefore, the record and the findings are disapproved, declared null andvoid, and the defendants are fully discharged."