The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-06-25
THE sANCTITY OF AN OATH.

oaths-bah They don't care that for
them swapping my fingers like the
cluck of hen.
81 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.
don't know that can say anything on
this question worth listening to, but if
you will stop your COMPOUNDED figuring
a moment I'll relate a little experience Of
mine that may be of service to this young
gentleman who knows so very much
about the nature of an oath and most
other things.
There was a general swapping to-
gether of ledgers and all manner of
books government clerks do not re
quire much of a pretext to stop work.
We all gathered about John, like bees
about Hymettus, and he began:
was a witness, once, In murder
case at Pinkerton's Bluff, on the North
Sandy, just above the falls. Bob
D., friend of mine-knew him in
the stRtes-was charged with having
killed Dave Thatcher, known in all that
region at Bet-you 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 argument-'I bet you five dol
lars"
The moment he heard any one make
an assertion, express a belief, or hint a
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
indicating an opinion upon some sub
ject, and 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 dead sure thing against him;
but this was so frequently the case that
1T kept him poor. If, in Dawes pres
ence, man dared affirm that his dog
was yellow, quick as lightning came an
offer to bet him five dollars 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 squarely down, or hag-
gle for time to go and take another
look. l never saw Dave myself; it was
after his time l came to The Bluff but
the fame of his extraordinary wagers,
and the no less extraordinary way in
which he sometimes won them, was In
everybody's mouth.
On the fifteenth day of July, in SO,
Dave and my friend Bob 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 nine o'clock they de-
parted together, quarreling about the
manner in which Bob had been silenced
but not convinced.
Dave was never afterward seen alive !;
but the next spring dead body, almost
past recognition, was discovered hidden
away in chaparral, 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 the body was that of Dave, as It
had q bullet in it-not some old
bullet, such as any one might have
somewhere in his system, but compar-
atively fresh one, which had passed
through the heart. Bob was taken into
| custody, charged with the deed. In
the mean time I had moved up from
below the falls, and as the whole town
had taken the other side 1 determined
to stand by the friend whom 1 had
known in the states.
At the trial tho courtroom was pack
ed with people, and the tide of public
opinion set so strongly against the
prisoner that the judge had to draw his
six-shooter n dozen times to keep order.
After score of witnesses had been ex-
amined for the prosecution, every one
of whom made things look very black
| for Robert, the state rested it's case,
Then the attorney for the defense arose,
and simply said:
"Your honor, shall make no pre-
! liminary statement, and I shall call but
one witness. BY him shall prove an
ali6i. or give up the case"
"Eh What's that ?" shouted the
district attorney, hopping upon his
| feet-as fussy a little rascal as ever
snorted law before deaf justice of the
peace. "Will you prove that the
prisoner was not on Spanish Town road
the night of the alleged murder ?"
"No; I'll prove that the deceased
was not"
There was a marked sensation in
court as my name was called, and was
solemnly sworn to tell the truth. the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
=" At ten o'clock on the night of July
10, 1855" 1 began, circumstantially,
I" was walking along the river bank,
on the side of town opposite the Span
ish Town road, and Just above the falls.
l wouldn't trouble myselflif we're you"
turning to the district attorney to
ask what was walking there for, be-
cause it isn't anybody's business"
I appeal to the court !" screeched
The little rascal springing to his feet,
eff I'm to be insulted in this wav-"
Keep still, will you," said his hon
or, "and let the witness proceed" I
had made favorable impression at the
start, and it gave me confidence. re-
sumed
g IL was a warm, moonlight evening,
and the mist rising above the cataract
was less dense than usual so I could
see tolerably we'll. Just at the brink,
on en- over Hanging rock. I saw a tall.
bent figure in gray clothes, wearing a
SLOUGH hat-a very bad hGi'; I don't see
more than a hundred worse in this
room" There was a smile all round,
and Il en- the district attorney asked me
if I had known the deceased, Mr..
Thatcher, in his life time. I replied
that had not-had never seen him.
Remember that, gentlemen of the
jury, said he, with a conceited smile
remember the witness had never seen
nor heard of the deceased. We don't
mean to controvert the witnesses state
ment on that point, sir" he added, ad-
dressing the counsel for the defense.
good thing which he would hold in re-
serve as a final crusher.
"Cuss you !" roared the judge. ''keep
your mouth shut, viii you? The wit
ness will proceed"
ct approached this person on the
rock" 1 continued, "and said, Good
evening""
Bet you five dollars it amt Z said
he, turning sharply about"
AT this there was a general snigger
from the spectators, and Dave ThRtch-
er's widow. who sat near, looked mp
with q sudden hope in her face that was
cheerful to see. resumed my testi-
mony:
81 Do you see that oak on the other
bank ? continued the man on the rock.
pointing to a conspicuous pine.