New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-08-08
Law AND LAWYERS.
BY NJ. QUAD.

| lelt-naDOer On inc nose. L saw tho blow
| struck; saw Mr.. Thomas fall; saw blood;
how . man could get along in this world
without either fighting or running.
Mr.. Kennedy was arrested. 1t was right
I enough 10 arrest him. IL man argues
with another man, knocks him down to
| enforce his particular views, and doesn't
| exhibit meek and lowly spirit after his fit
of anger has passed away. il is but right
| that he should be arrested.
His hO1for tho judge made me take a
| solenn oath to tell the truth. He might
have Judged from my looks that would
tell deliberate lie about one-horse knock
down. or perhaps he hoped would perjure
myself. and give him chance to send me
to State prison for five Or ten years.
Tho counsel ior the prosecution then
wanted to know what my name was. had
lived next door to him for eleven years, but
get he suddenly inspected that ! might be
John Smith or William Patterson. After
had satisfied him shat my name was my
name ha wanted to know if lived in De.
troit. He could have walked from the court
to my house blindfolied. but he persisted
in bis question. Then he wanted to know
if lived ia "Detroit, county of Wayne,
State Of Michigan" He seemed to suspect
that the name of the county had been
changed, and that didn't know whether
Ilived.in Michigan or Ohio. but satisfied
him.
All this didn't use up but half an hours
time. and then he wanted to know if saw
the difficulty between Kennedy and Thomas
l was quite sure saw it. but he didn't seem
TO DO. He wanted 10 know if l saw the blow
struck; if was certain saw it; if there was
more than one blow; if there were three
blows; it there was any kicking; and after
another half-h0ur he seemed to believe that
I had soon sopna IF of tho 1iffioul<v Sf pof
all OF il.
The counsel for the defense had been i'm.
patiently waiting. and as soon as ! was
turned over to him he began:
You say your name is QUAD"
Il want the jury to remember that! And
you say you live in Detr0it"
Eyes, sir"
''Let the jury remembe. that this witness
says he lives in Detroit exclaimed the at
torney as he gave me 2 fierce look. He
made note OF the tact himself. and then
continued:
Now. sir, do you own the house you live
in,"
Eyes, SIR
"You hear that. gentlemen" he said, turn
ing TO the jury. "Now, sir, is there a mort
gage on that hcuse''
II objeetr' said tho counsel for the prose
ton, suddenly springing up.
"YOu do, eh!"
Eyes, do. / can't see what bearing this
question has on the case"
"Well, your HONOR replied the other
lawyer, facing the desk, ''the question is q
vital one-a hinge question. We expect
that the answer to that question will decide
the innocence OF my client"
His honor leaned back as il the fate of
kingdoms depended on his decision. and the
lawyers read from the Twelfth Michigan
report. the Seventeenth New York, the
Eleventh Vermont and one or two others,
and for an hour and half tho case was
put aside. They finally got through, and
the court decided that need not answer
the question. I, was then noon, aud tho
court adjourned until two o'clock.
When tho court opened in the afternoon
the lawyer resumed the cross-examination
by asking:
How old are yon''
''Thlrty-two."
"Thirty.two! Didn'. you tell ne this
morning that you were titty-dye"
'Nc, cir
.Tor didn't. eh"'
''No, sir"
Remember, cir, you are On your oath
Be careful, sir! Now answer me. aren't
you forty years old p
mo, SIR"
He noted tho answer down and then
asked:
Haven. you beer arrested for man
slaughter ~
Never"
"What. Remember. sir, you are on your
oathw
Il never was''
Were you ever engaged in riotF'
''Yes, SIR"
''Ah you were, ehs Let the Jury make
a note OF that This case is becoming inter
esting, and before we get through with it
We'll make the prosecution open their eyes
Now, then, when was the riot
'!In 1870"
"And where!'
''In La Crosse
"Teli the jury what started it, what part
you took, and the sentence of the court in
your CASE"
"We hung lawyer to a lamp post for
for"
What" he yelled. shaking his fist, lam
| to be insulted by this witness, your
hon0rl"
The two attorneys then brought in an
other pile of law books, and after arguing
for an hour the court decided that the de-
Tense had no right to ask me the question.
The cross examination was then resumed
by his asking:
" .You say e. you saw this diticultyp
"You swear to that'
"Yee, cir"