The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-11-07
Swearing a Chinese witness.

The San francisco Post contains the
following report of curious Chinese
trial:
The All PAX Chinese habeas corpus
case, on application to release Sing
Fung, young China woman, from the
clutches of bag known as ST Que, in
whose custody she was alleged to be,
was resumed in the County Court this
morning. The announcement made
several days ago, that the ceremony of
swearing the witnesses would be per-
formed in the Chinese fashion, attracted
quite crowd to the Court. p. Cum
mings appeared for the respondent, and
w. H. Chamberlain for the petitioner.
Mr.. Cummings argued at length against
the barbarous method of swearing wit
nesses proposed by counsel, and quoted
extensively from g Chambers's Encyclo-
pedia" to show that almost every ma
ton, modern and ancient, invariably
insisted upon people of other nationali-
ties conforming to their mode of admin
istering oaths. Although frequently re-
quested to confine himself to the text, the
counsel could not be got to do it. FL
nally the Judge said: "Mr. Clerk, en-
ter q fine of $50 against the counsel for
contempt of Court" Mr.. Cummings
closed his encyclopedia and sat down
without uttering word. Judge Wright
then directed Counselor Chamberlain
to bring on his oath or something to
that effect, and in response the attorney
made dive for the rear of the court
room, and In a moment returned with n
bucket, huge butcher knife and sack
made of mating, from which emanated
decidedly lively cackling.
Your Honor" said Mr.. Chamber
lain, "we don't want to spatter the
blood around. How'll we prevent
thatP" -T.
81 don't know, - responded the Court,
drawing away out Of range.
A lively collOquy ensued between the
Chinese interpreter, the witness, and the
Chinaman, who insisted upon being
sworn in the Oriental fashion. What It
was all about was wholly Incompetent
sible to the Court and the other bar
barians present, but the manner of hold
ing the pullet about to be sacrificed in
the interests of truth appeared to have
something to do with it. The woman,
who at first did not want to be sworn in
the genuine heather style at all, finally
concluded to decapitate the rooster, pro-
videdB one of the Cinnamon held it.
This modification of the orthodox meth
cd, which requires the person affirming
to touch the chicken before the decap-
itation, was accepted, and after some
further discussion and the further con-
cession that the chickens neck should
be held against the rim of the bucket,
the woman was sworn, the clerk pro-
pounding the following oath, which was
translated by the Interpreter:
You do solemnly swear that the evil
dence you will give in the issue now
pending shall be the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth, and,
if tell lie, may my life be as this
chicken .H sE
The response was stroke of the
knife, which only partially severed the
chickens head, whereupOn the woman
dropped the knife. The crowd of China
men earnestly gesticulated and protested
that the oath wasn't properly admins
tered, and the woman was compelled to
repeat the stroke, the second time per-
forming the decapitatiOn. The China
man who held the chicken rammed it
into bucket, and held it there until its
struggle had ceased. The woman then
mounted the stand, but skillful fire of
cross-questions failed to elicit any thing
more than at the previous examination.
She knew nothing of the whereabouts,
of Sing Fung, the missing maiden.
Some Of the questions she pretended not
to understand, and in such cases she in
variably broke out with, "NIe no fool!
Me take him Melica mans swearee; me
cuttee ehickee's head off nue. tell him
lie, me go down stairs, sabbe." The
interpreter in the ease was accused by
the indignant MIR. Cummings of being q
sleuth hound. As he did not give salts
faction, it was decided to postpone the
case until October Il - IL :