The Lantern That Wasn't Lit
Illustration★★★★In a terrible accident at a railroad crossing, a train smashed into a car and pushed it nearly four hundred yards down the track. Though no one was killed, the driver took the train company to court.
At the trial, the engineer insisted that he had given the driver ample warning by waving his lantern back and forth for nearly a minute. He even stood and convincingly demonstrated how he had done it. The court believed his story, and the suit was dismissed.
“Congratulations,” the lawyer said to the engineer when it was over. “You did superbly under cross-examination.” “Thanks,” he said, “but he sure had me worried. I was afraid he was going to ask if the lantern was lit!” (lying, deception)
The point
A train engineer convinced court his lantern warning was effective by demonstrating it, later revealing the lantern was never lit—illustrating clever deception and the danger of unverified claims.