The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-07-31
SaMctity OF Al Oath.

abolish all legal punishment for per
jury" said I, Dramatically, at the close
of a 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
them Swapping my fingers like the
cluck Of hen.
L don't know, boys" SAID John Flem-
ing, who had taken no part in the dis
cussion, laying down his pen, and squar-
ing about upon his stool; II don't know
that can say an7thing on this question
worth listening to, bnt If you will stop
your contounded figuring moment I'll
relate lirtIe 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 leloers and ali manner Of books
of pretext to stop work We all gath
cred about John, like bees about a Hy
mettus, and he began
l was witness, once, 10 a murder case
at Piukertons Buff 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 That
cher, known in all that region as Bet-you
Dave. He had neen born a Ciebater, 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 ofthe one arGument-"I bet you five
dollars"
The moment he heard any one make
an assertion, express belief, or hint a
rumUr frequently before possessing his
mind Of the speakers full meaning-ne'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 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 50 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 bel
him tive dollars he wasn't; and it camr
with such positive energy that if the mae
hadn't seen his dog since morning it was
ten chances to one that he would back
down, or haggle for time to go and take
another look [ never saw Dave mvseif
1T was after his time that I came to tho
Biuti: but the fame Of his extraordinary
wagers, and the no less extraordinary way
III which he sometimes won them was il
every oody's mouth.
On the fifteenth day Of July, in SO
Dave and my friend Bob D--passe6
the whole evening together in the bar
room Of the Spread Eagle Hotel, anc
during the time Bob lost three straigh
bets with him. About nine o'clock the,
departed together. euarreling about The
manner in which Bob had been silenceC
but not convinced. a
Dave was never afterward seen alive
but the next spring dead body, almos
past recognition, was discovered bidder
away in chapparal, near the side of tn,
road over which they must have passed
to reach their houses, about two mile
from town. Nearly everybody said til
body was that of Dave, and as it had
bullet init, not some old bullet, such Al
one might have somewhere in his system
but compa' atively fresh one, which hao
passed through the heart, Bob was take1
into custody, charged with the deed. Ii
the meantime I had moved up from be
low the falls, and as the whole town hat
taken the other side determined t
stand by the friend whom I had know
in the States.
At the trial the court room was packe,
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 dozen times to keep order. After
score of witnesses had been examined 70
the prosecution every one Of whom mad