The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-11-28
SANCTITT OF AN OATH.


abolish all legal punishment for per-
jury, said l. dogmatically, at the end OF
IA dCsuitory 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-
uah. They don care that for them -
slapping MY fingers like the cluck OF
uUn.
y don't know, boys" said John Flem-
lng, who had taken no part III the discus
SION, laying down his pen, and squarin,
about upon his stool II don know tina
I can say anything on this question WORTH
.Isteni < TO, but if you viii stop your
contounded figuring a moment I'll relate
Il little experience OF mine that may be o.
service to TINS young gentleman VIII
knows SO very much about the nature {
IN oath and most other things
There was a general swapping togethe.
Of ledgers and all manner OF books; Gov
ernmcnt clerks do not require much OF =
preteXt to stop work. We all gathered
about John, like bees about Hymettus
nd he began:
was witness, once, in a murder case
at Pinkerton's Bluff, on the North Sandy,
just above the falls. Bob D., a friend
Of mine-kncw him in the States-Was
charged with having killed Dave Thatch-
or Known IN all that region as Bet-Io
Dave. He had been a 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-"I bet you five
dollars"
The moment he heard any one make an
assertion, express q belief, or hint rumOr
frequently before possessing his mind
Of the speakers full meaning-he'd bet
him five dollars it wasn't SOL When no
body was talking he would try in all in
direct ways to entrap some one into lndi-
eating an opinion upon some subject, and
ihen 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 a dead
sure thing against him; and this was SO
frequently the case that it kept him poor
#, in Dawes presence, man dared affirm
that his dog was yellow, quick as hight
ming 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 that he would back down, or haggle
for time to 90 and take another look.
never saw Dave myself; 1t was after his
! time that 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 5
mouth.
On the fifteenth day of July, in '5S,
! Dave and my friend Bob D passed
| the whole evening together in the bar
room Of the Spread Eagle Hotel, and dur
/ ing the time Bob lost three straight bets
/ with him. About nine o'clock they de
parted together, quarreling about the man
( ner 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 cuapparal, near the SIDE OF the
road oyerwhich the two must have passed
to reach their houses, about two miles
from town. Nearly everybody said the
body was that of Dave, and as 1t had a
bullet in it-not some old bullet, such as
one might have somewhere in his system,
but comparatively fresh one, which had
passed through the heart Bob was taken
! into custody, charged with the deed In
tne mean time | had moved up from be-
Iow the falls, and as the whole town had
taken the other side l determined to stand
by the friend whom | had known in the
States.
At the trial the court room was packed
with people, and the tide of public opin-
ion set so strongly against the prisoner
.!lat the Judge had to draw his siX-shoot-
er dozen times to keep order. After a
score of witnesses had beeu examined for
the prosecution, every one Cf whom made
things look very black Cor Robert, the
State rested its case. Then the attorney
foI the defence arose, ard simply said:
''Your Honor, l shall make no prenm
mary statement, and l shall call but ont
witness. BY him l shalt prove an ahbi
or give up the case"
'Eh. What's that?" shouted the Dis
trict Attorney, hopping upon his feet-a
fUSSy a little rascal as ever SnOTted Law
before a deaf Justice of the Peace. ''Wil
yen prove that the prisoner was not o.
: Spanish Town road the night OF the al
legged murder9"
"No. I'll prove that the deceased wa
not"
There was q parked sensation IN cour
as my name was called, and | was solemn
!y sworn TO tell the truth, the whole truth
S and nothing but the truth.
AT ten o'clock on the night of July
: IS, 1875" l began, circumStantially, /"
vas walking along the river bank, on tn
side of town opposite the Spanish Tow
road, and just above the falls, | wouldn
trouble myself, if ! were you '-tulnin
TO the District Attorney-"to ask what
+ was walking there for, because it ism
Z anybody's business"
Il II appeal to tile Court" scfeeched tn