DAYTON, Tenn., July 21, 1925 (UP) - John T. Scopes, high school professor was found guilty by a jury today of teaching the evolution theory of the descent of man contrary to the recently passed law of Tennessee. The jury was out only a few minutes. He is liable to a fine of $100 to $500.
The trial swept dramatically into its closing moments this morning.
Judge Raulston ordered the testimony of William Jennings Bryan expunged from the record at the opening of court.
Clarence Darrow then asked that the judge immediately instruct the jury to bring in a verdict of guilty.
Agreement was reached between attorneys for both sides to dispense with the eight hours of argument and oratory scheduled.
Darrow told the judge there was no use wasting any more time.
"We claim," he said, "that the defendant is not guilty of violating the law, but as the court has excluded all testimony except that Scopes taught that man descended from a lower order of animals, which I cannot contradict, there is nothing left for us to do, except to ask your honor to instruct the jury to return a verdict of guilty."
Arthur Garfield Hays, defense counsel, asked Atty. Gen. Stewart if the defense could have longer than the usual 30 days to prepare its record for the appellate court.
"We would agree to it," said Stewart, "but we are anxious to get the case before the Supreme Court in September. Our court meets once a year."
"That being the case, we won't ask for the extra time," said Hays.
Judge Raulston then recessed the court, while he dictated his charge to the jury to the court stenographer.
The decision to dispense with argument robbed the orators of a fine chance to thresh out the issues of the case before the American people.
Bryan, who counted on one fine summation of the fundamentalist case, was forced to content himself with his oration Thursday in opposition to the admission of scientific evidence.
Darrow rested upon his laurels won in his one big speech of the case a week ago when he indicted fundamentalism.
Darrow will go to Knoxville tomorrow night or Thursday to fill a speaking engagement he agreed to before the trial began. He will then return to Chicago. Malone will return immediately to New York.
Bryan intends to spend several weeks in Tennessee resting - "resting without talking," he told reporters. He will be a guest of Stewart and Judge Raulston at Winchester, Tenn., later this week.
Bryan announced to newspaper men that he would give out after the trial the list of questions he would have asked Darrow if he had been permitted to ask them on the stand.
Darrow replied, when he was informed of this, he would answer the questions for the press.
Bryan also said he would give out the speech he would have delivered in the closing argument, which was dispensed with, for publication.
