The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-06-20
THE SANCTITY OF AN OATH.

:
o. the other clerks in the San Francisco /
mint, "and not one witness in a dozen /
would speak the truth. As for their /.
oaths-bah They don't care that for
them swapping my fingers like the |
cluck of hen.
AZ 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. l /
don't know that can say anything on /.
this question worth listening to. but II |
you will stop your COMPOUNDED figuring /
a moment I'll relate 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 q general swapping to- /
gether of ledgers and all manner of /
books government erks do not re
quire much of pretext to stop work. |
We all gathered about John, like bees /
about Hymettus, and he began:
I was a witness, once, IN murder
case at PinkertOn's Bluff, on the ~ rth
Sandy, Just above the falls. kBOb
D., a friend OF mine-knew him IN
the states-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 belief, or hint
frequently before possessing his
mind of the speakers full meaning
bet him five dollars it wasn't so. When
l. n L. ii 49, IN a,Nl
indirect ways to entrap ebme one into
indicating an opinion upon some sub
iect, 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 yin, unless
there was a dead sure thing gainst him;
but this was so frequently DE case that
it kept him poor. If, in Dawes pres
ence, d 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 bag
gle for time to go and take another
look. ] never saw Dave myself; 1t was
after his time 1 came 20 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 50,
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 chapdrrGl, 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 a bullet in it-not- some old
bullet, such as any one Aight have
somewhere in his system, buA 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 th6whoIe town
had taken the other side undetermined
to stand by the friend whom l had
known in the states.
At the trial the 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 a dozen times to keep order.
After a score of Witnesses had been ex-
amined 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, I shall make no pre-
liminary statement, and I shall call lSlt
one witness. BY him I shall prove
abb. 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 a deaf justice of the
peace. "Will you prove that the
prisoner was not on Spanish Town road
the night of the alleged murder ?"
ono; I'll prove that the deceased /
was not"
There was a marked sensation in |
court as my name was called, and I was /
solemnly sworn to tell the truth, the /
whole truth, and nothing but the truth. |
At ten O'Clock on the night of July |
Is, 1853, [ began circumstantially, |
{" was walking along the river bank, |
on the side of town opposite the Span
ish Town road, and just above the falls.
I Vouldn't trouble rayselfiif I were S9rl''
turning to the district attorney" to
ask what was walking there for, be-
cause it isn't anybody's business"
CT appeal to the court - screeched
The little rascal springing to his feet,
q" if Pm to be insulted in this way"
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. I re-
sumed
cit was a warm, moonlight evening, /
and the mist rising above the cataract /
was less dense than usual so / could |
see tolerably well. just at the brink, !
on en- oveI hanging rock, I saw q tall, |
bent figure in gray clothes, wearing a /
slouch hat-a very bad hat; don't see.
more than hundred worse in Thu
room" There was a smile all rounR
and t. en- TIE 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
meub on Juat POM, SIT. he duuSu3 du-
dressing the counsel for the defense,
and Sinking as if he had got no d of
good thing which he would hold in re-
serve as final crusher.
"Cuss you !" roared the Judge. 'keep
your mouth shut. will you ri The wit
ness will proceed"
ct approached this person on the
rock" I continued, "and said, Good
evening""
Bet you five dollars it aiIf = said
be, turning sharply about"
At this there was generaN Singer
rom the spectators, and Dave Thatch-
sr's widow. who sat near, looked mp
With sudden hope in her face that was
cheerful TO sec. I resumed my iesti-
nODy:
GO Do You see that oak on the other
bank ? continued the man on the rock,
pointing to conspicuous pine, =