Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-02-05
THE GAZETTE.
SATURDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY ). 1859
BULLYING OF WITNESSES.


Mr.. Wendell Phillips has furnished text
for the discussion Of this subject, in an adj
dre,S which he delivered in the fremont
temple on the 18th December last. MIR.
Phillips glances at the period when 1t was
considered to be- Us bud as the criminal to
bear witness in his favor, aud when witnesses
we're treated like brutes. lie truthfully
a.hrms that even in the present day. there
are many who would rather give hundred
,i.llarS than see wife or female relative
placed ON the witness stand. to be subject
To the bullying Of the bar, that is too often
practised lie gives the following as a case
i'll point
Once. in Boston. a young servant girl,
gentle and honest. saw transfer of money
and some fraudulent affair occurring in con
nection with it. She was summoned, in all
her timidity and innocence, into a Boston
court of gentlemen. She gave her testimony
,ruthfully and well. Then there came to
crosS-question her one horn of one of the best
families, lawyer possessing all scholarly
requirements, a graduate Of Harvard and
pink of fashion. lie knew ofn" rebuke from
any bench. So he proceeded 70 insinuate
the vilest insults that ever man uttered to
woman. and asked such questions till the
poor girl almost tainted. Yet that court oi
gentlemen never said a word Of rebuke.-
The poor girl went home almost heart-br0-
ken, to hold down her head for years at the
remembrance of that injustice and insult
The lawyer went to large city to obtain
wider field for his talents, and he sleeps to-
night ina drunkard's grave-too good for
such brute as he was
l., ,,n.o Jarnra tnrp
To the character Of gentleman than conduct
such as that we have quoted. Generally
witness is dragged from his private business
10 perform the disagreeable duty OF testIfying
against fellow creature, and conslgn him
10 an ignominious punishment, if found gull
". To Il sensitive mind, this ordeal, pure
and simple, is distressing enough. and the
witness naturally betrays some reluctance IN
testifying to all the facts. When these facts
are of delicate nature. the hesitation
particularly in case of Il females increased.
Is it not inhuman. then. to throw out in
situations, derogatory to the witness, who
happens to be on the stand. not from choice
not through the commission ofany offence,
but i'm obedience to the laws, for the further
sncc of the ends of justice! If there were
any provocation which could Justify breach
of the peace, we certainly think the lawyer
who should pursue such line OF conduct
towards helpless female would richly de-
serve the application ola good-stout cowhide,
held by Il strong masculine hand, over his
shoulders
We do not object TO cross-exnminations.--
They are, undoubtedly necessary to elicit
truth, in cases of hesitating witnesses or
others with bad memories Nay, sometimes
where the witness is VIGOROUSLY of bad char
scter the questions may be put in form
ofseverity, and the terrors of the law may
be he'd over him with good effect But We
do condemn the prevalent practice, among
some members of the bar, Of apparently re-
yarding all witnesses On the opposite side as
liars. and 50 framing their questions as 10
render it palpable to every one present that
the witnesses are 40 considered. Such CON
duct is neither professional not sentlemanly
1t belongs rather to those pettiioggers who,
like the ancient Cornish knights, We're on
the outskirts of chivalry. and were not az
knowledged by the true chevalers of the or
der.--N. y. Express.