Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1874-02-13
Selected Mistrllanv.
sANCTITY OF AN OATH.


abolish all legal punishment for per-
jury" said /, dogmatically, at the end of
Il desultory argument with some of the
other clerks in the San Francisco Mint,
land not one witness in dozen would
speak the truth AS for their oaths-
bah They don't care that for tbem''-
swapping my fingers like the cluck of
I hen.
Il don't know, boys" said John
Fleming who had taken no part in the
discussion, laying down his pen, and
squaring about upon his stool II don't
know that | can say anything on this
question worth listening to, but if you
will stop your confounded figuring mo-
.nent, Illrelatc an experience ofmine that
may be of service to this young gentle
man who knows so very much about the
nature of an oath, and most other things. !"
There was general swapping together
of ledgers and all manner of books Gov
ernment clerks do not require much of IA
bpretext to stop work. We all gathered
about John, like bees about Hymcttus,
and he began:
| was u witness, once. in a murder
case at Pinkertons Bluff, on the North
Sandy, just above the falls Bob D.
a friend of mine-knew him in the States
was charged with having killed Dave
Thatcher, known in all that region as
Bet you Dave He had been born
debater, had Dave. He was never known
to agree with the opinions of any man
at The Bluff upon any question under
heaven; and he made use of but one ar
gument-"I bet you five dollars"
The moment he heard any one make
an assertion, express belief, or hint
rumor frequently before possessing his
mind of the speakers full meaning -he'd
bet him five dollars it wasn't so! When
nobody was talking he would try in all
indirect ways to entrap some one into in
dlcating an opinion upon some subject,
then he was down upon him with that
everlasting wager. He would put up
the money, too, and what's more he would
commonly win, unless there was a dead
sure thing against him; but this was so
frequently the case that it kept him poor
II, IN Dawes presence man dared to
affirm that his dog was yellow, quick as
lightning came an offer to bet him five
dollars that he wasn't; and it came with
such positive energy that if the man
hadn't seen his dog since morning it was
ten chances to one he would back square
~ down, or haggle for time to 20 and
take another look / never saw Dave
myself; it was after his time that came
to The Bluff; but the fame Of his extra
ordinary wagers, and the no less extra
ordinary way in which he sometimes won
them, was in cverybody's mouth
On the 18th day of July, in SO, Dave
and my friend Bob D passed the
whole evening together in the bar-room
of the Spread Eagle Hotel and during
the time Bob lost three straight bets with
him. About 8 o'clock they departed
together, qnarrclling about he manner
in which Bob had been sienced but not
convinced
Dave was never afterwards seen alive;
but the next spring dead body, almost
past recognition. was discovered hidden
away in the chapparoL. near the side of
the road over which the two must have
passed to reach their houses, about two
miles from town. Nearly everybody said
that the body was that of Dave, and as
it had a bullet nit--not some old bullet,
such as one might have somewhere in
his system, but comparatively fresh
one. which had passed through the heart
Bob was taken into custody, charged
with the deed. In the meantime | had
moved up from below the falls, and as
the whole town bad taken the other side,
! determined to stand by the friend whom
had known in the States.
At the trial the courtroom was packed
with people, and the tide of public opin-
ion set SO strongly against the prisoner
that the judge had to draw his six-shoot-
cr dozen times to keep order After n
score Of witnesses had been examined for
the prosecution, every one Of whom made
things look very black for Robert. the
State rested its case. Then the attorney
( for the defense arose and simply said
Your Honor, shall make no prelimi-
nary statement, and shall call but one
witness. BY him | shall prove an abb
or [ shall give up the case"
eth! What's thatT' shouted tho
District Attorney, hopping upon his
AS fussy little rascal as ever
law before deaf justice Of the
trWill you prove that the pr