The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-08-08
LITERARY
Sanctity OF An Oath.

abolish ali legal punishment for per-
jury" said |, dogmatically, at the close
of desultory argument with some of
the other clerks in the San Francisco
mint, and not one witness in dozen
would speak the truth. As for their
Oaths-bah! They don't care that for
them"-snapping my fingers like the
cluck of hen.
II don't know, boys SAID John Elem
ing, who had taken no part in the dis
cussion. laying down his pen, and squar-
ing about upon his stool; Il don't know
that | can say anything on this question
worth listening to. bnt if you will stop
your confounded figuring moment I'll
relate little experience of mine that
may be of service to this young gentle
man who knows so much about the ma
ture of an oath and most other things"
There was general swapping togeth-
er of leigers and ali manner of books:
Government clerks do not require much
of pretext to stop work. We all gath
cred about John, like bees about Hy-
mettus, and he began:
l was witness, once, III murder case
at Pinkerton's Bluff, on the North Sandy.
just above the falls. Bob D., friend
of mine-knew him in the States-was
charged with having killed Dave That
cher, known In all that region as Bet-you
Dave. He had Deen 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 the one argument-sI bet YOU five
dollars
The moment he heard any one make
an assertion, express a belief, or hint
rumor Frequently before possessing his
mind Of the speakers full meanng-ned
bet him five dollars it wasn't sol When
nobody was talking he would try in all
indirect ways to entrap some one into
indicating an opinion upon some subject,
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; ana this
was so frequently the case that 1t kept
him poor. If, in Dawes presence, man
dared affirm that his dog was yellow.
quick as lightning came an offer to bet
him five dollars he wasn't; and it camn
with such positive energy that if the mae
hadn't seen his dog since morning it was
ten chances to one that he would hack
down, or haggle for time to go and take
another look. | never saw Dave myself:
it was after his time that / 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
every oody's mouth
On the fifteenth day of July. in IS,
Dave a2d nay TREND 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 nine o'clock thew
departed together. oaarreling about the
manner in which Bob had been silenced
but not convinced
Dave was never afterward seen alive:
but the next spring a dead body. almost
past recognition, was discovered hidden
away in chapparal, near the side of the
road over which they must have passed
\ to reach their houses. about two miles
from town. Nearly everybody said the
body was that of Dave, and as i: had a
bulletinlt, not some old bullet, such rs
one might have somewhere in his system.
but compa ativelv fresh one, which had
passed through the heart, Bob was taken
into custody. charged with the deed. In
the meantime ! had moved up from be-
low the falls, and as the whole town hsd
taken the other side / determined TO
stand by the friend whom l had known
In the States.
AT tue trial the court room 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-
er adozen tunes to keep order. After :
score of witnesses had been examined for
the prosecution every one OF whom made
things look very black for Robert, tiie
State rested Its caee- Then the attorney