The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1830-12-23

will. deem TO be highly material To me as =
| witness
In the 6rst place. MIR Pesrcc called DR..
! Case, q 1aleve he Was not su,nmVnsd) wh''
whc" sworn was asked the following questions:
| Air. r Dr Case. are ynn msshn' Witness:
Yes air. MIR r. Wi, you repeat the oath or
| n'ihs you took as mason; Witness then
took from his pocket 'Bernard's Light on Ma
sonry, as IL is called. and, handing the book
10 MIR. r observed. 'Il,at book contains ali lhc
masonic os,hs ] know ony thing about"
| When this answer was given. mr.. Hazard and
myse looked ab,nt in tho Court house In rs
certain IL there were any masors then present,
there did not happen 10 be one there at the
time except myself Nlr. Hazard then re
qucslcd me to summon Coils. Nichslas Boss,
Archibald Munro, and Stephen A, Robinson
Il filed a summons and sent an officer 70
serve them with il without delay. Mr.. Haz.
| ard got through with the examination of DR..
Case, when asked tho DR.. the following ques.
] lion, aud in these very words: "Doct Case,
when you took your masonic obligations, was
your mind impressed with the belief that you
was bound By that obligation on all occasions,
or on any occasion, to assist brother mason
even nt the peril oe doing wrong TO yourself
or Others? Witncss:-Why yes Sir i did in
the first oft, until made my mind up tha,
ma sonic Obligations were not binding nj ALL.
| In this stage ofthc case, Mr.. Hazard, who is
very far from being mason, appeared to be
astonishcd Mt the answer or the witness, turn
| ed TO me and asked if those witnesses had
come in, being told that they had not, he then
asked The witness question similar in some
respects TO the one he had previously answer
ed, and the witness giving about the same an
swer as before; MIR. II. finding that Col Boss
and The other witnesses had mt come in, and
! not seeing any mason except myself in court,
n, a,I La IN bav vo
me sworn This is the manner, and form. of
| my appearance in this cause as a witness.
| Was IL necessary that should have been snrt
moncd, when was there and concerned IN the
case - Ii is worse than prctence or evasion 10
! suppose such an ubsurdity Why, then. make
use Of the terms volunteer witness and os-
peCially when the reporter. very we'll knows,
| or ought to know, that those expressions when
ever used bR lawyer at the bar or elsewhere,
| generally carry with them something OF an
opprobrious import? Why use them in this
case, when they were SO entirely uncalled for,
| ior any fair and manly purpose, ard when eve.
J ~ person that knows me must he satisfied,
that in no instance of my life could those
terms have any Just application Ia my conduct
as a witncss' Why use such terms in refer.
cnce 10 one whose conduct towards the rcpor
| ter. from the time he came here, six years ago,
/ almost an entire stranger, has boon on all Oe
/ easions, and mit|iout a single exception, down
even IN the nJvmcnt when thoso offensive
words were selected precisely such and all
that be himself could have wished il TO have
been? So far from my volunteering myself
as a witness, would willingly and gladly in.
deed, have been excused from that unpleasant
duty. Nothing but scnsc Of duty 10 the
court, and 10 my client, considering his pc.
culiar situation at that moment, could induced
me 10 have been there as a witness under such
circumstances, and on such an occasion Bu,
! to return 10 the evidence Mr. Hazard asked
me if the oaths which had just heard read
were the oaths had taken as n mason Wit.
ness: Those oaths, as surh, and in the words
Mr. Pearcc has now read them, were never
! administered To me, nor did ] ever take them
myself, or hear any other person take them.
! Mr.. Hazard: Did you ever take any masonic
obligation tha, required you at any time, or on
1 any occasion, TO violate any Of the duties you
owe TO socieiy' Witness. No Sir, ] never
did; there is no srch masonic obligation, 10 my
knowledge. Mr.. Pcarce: Have you taken
The three frs. degrees mr.. Crans,on, Wit
ness: yes Sir, have taken the three first de-
proes and am not certain but twenty upon
the top of them. Mr.. Pearcc: Oyes Sir, then
you are Knight Templar? Witness; yes
Sir. After inquiring further, whether had
taken three or four degrees of knighihood OF
| rather odd sounding names, and being inform
ed that had not, mr.. Pearce then proceeded
Mr.. Crans:on, you have heard those three
oails read from Bernard book, will you state
whether they are the same 0aths you have
taken as a mason' Witness; Those oaths you
| have read, have never taken as such--they
were never administered to me in the words
as you have read them. Mr.. Pcarce; Well,
sir, will you repeat the oath you did take !!
| Here observed 10 the court, that they would
perceive that my situation appeared TO be one
&c peculiar dclicacy; and added, tha, had EN-
| tered into obligations as mason, ard now
with the solemniiy Of my obligation as a wit
ness fresh in my mind, declare most solemn.
" that never took any masonic obligation
whatever nor did ever hear any administer.
cd TO others, that was in any manner, either
directly or Indirectly. contrary 10 any Of ihc
duties owe to myself, my family, my couatry,
or my God Mr.. Pcarce here interrupted by
saying; Yes, yes, very well Sir, but want
| Won TO tell what those obligations were, so
That we may Judge about that thing ourselves.
! Witness: Ii is Impossible, Sir, i"r NC 10 tel
YOU what they are by repeating them, because
do not remember them, nor never knew them
in words so as 20 be able 10 repeat them; and
much nf them that once knew have forgot
ten; for many years past my business and my
family have claimed all my time and attention,
I so that have not attended, nor had any IN.
clination 10 attend, the lodges as was accus.
toned 10 do bcfare had \ family; that for
the last six or eighs years, am quite certain
that have attended bat very few meetings:
should think not more than dozen so many.
SIR Pearce; Will you state the diieFcnce as !
raaa This oath between that and the one you
took. or will you take the book (reacbing 1t 10
! mel and read il Yourself and point out the
| difference ss yongo nlong' Witness: IL Is no
part of nv duty as witness 10 read that book,
\ nor shall dn So; sn herr as witness and
am 'rSa,Iy Ynder tic direction If hs Court.'
10 aMs,,ef any question, thai Is reiseaAt to the
matter on irisL
Here in this stage efthe business, hav