Chester Keene was a bailiff in the Collier County Criminal Court on the morning this tale took place. As he tells it:
I was working as Lead Bailiff and a Deputy we'll call Thumper Hopkins was the Assistant Bailiff. Thumper was controlling the door to the holding cell in the next room where the inmates waited for their appearance before the judge. Thumper wasn't wearing a firearm, as was a rule of the court, and for protection carried a 30,000 volt "stun" baton, a polite name for a cattle prod. Thumper also did the fingerprinting, when required, so he was in close contact with the inmates in court and needed some protection.
Suddenly, there arose a commotion coming from the holding cell that was so loud it was disruptive to the court proceedings. An inmate was giving a fire and brimstone sermon that Cryin' Jimmy would have been proud of, screaming with all the lung power he could muster: "The Lord will take his vengeance on those in this courtroom by striking them down with a bolt of lightning. Take my word, sinners."
The overwhelming uproar continued until the judge demanded that the inmate be brought before him, forthwith.
Thumper disappeared through the connecting door, there was bloodcurdling howl, then silence and Thumper reappeared in the doorway.
"What happened?" the judge asked.
"He got that bolt of lightnin' he was prayin' for." Thumper said, holding up his electric cattle prod.
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