The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-10-30

Bat you must swear, said the clerk,
sharply.
Did yer honors iver hear The likes o.
that?' ID Peter, approaching the bench.
"A Christian man, and q dacint-looking
man, too, barrin' he has lost a crop Of
bis hair entirely-and put on strange
looking ihatch (the clerk wore wig
to make me burglariously and folonious.
ly swear before the face Of your honors
and The gintlemen Of the jury and the
gintlemen of the bar. Ohl but the vir-
tue in me won't let me do the same
'Mulroouey, said one OF the judges,
striving to suppress the quivering about
the muscles OF his lips-his associate
wss stuffing white handkerchief into
his mouth-'Mulrooney, you must be
aware that il is always necessary for a
witness to take an oath before he can be
permitted to give evidence at the bar
Sure, sir, said Peter, innocently.
That is what the clerk required OF
you, continued the judge, who added,
with a faint attempt at gravity, you will
alto recollect that it is our duty to com.
NIT any one to prison for contemptuous
behavior at court.
Long life to your honor, said Peter /;
'sorra bit I'll disgrace myself by hurtin
the feelin's Of any respectable gray.hair-
ed gintlemen like yourself, or your hon.
or's brother yonder, who is attn his
white handkerchief to stop the hunger
pain. Deed, sir, I'd be takin' great
shame TO meself if 1 did.
Swear him. said the Judge, nodding
hastily to the clerk, and sinking back in
his well-cushioned chair.
Now, Mr.. Mulrooney,' said the coun.
sci for his friends tell us what you
know about this affair.
Peters stoay was perfect rigmarole.
He had been at his friend McShane's-
be had returned from this friends had
got into trouble with the Germans, but
as to how the atTray commenced, his
memory, clear enough before, became
suddenly very hazy. All he couldirecol-
lect was that sundry of the Irish, being
soundly pummeled by the Germans,
pummeled their antagonists quite as
soundly in return.
The cross examination now com.
monced, and as Peter caught up and re-
PEELED every move of the keen witted
attorney, the contest between cultivated
sharpness and native shrewdness became
gradually very exciting.
'WelI, Mr.. Mulrooney,' said the attor-
ney, you say you left home in the even'
ing to assist in observing this national
custom of yours. About what time in
the EVENING"
Deed, sir, replied Peter, with the
utmost simplicity, but that bates me to
say. Twas betwight and between sun-
down and moonrise.
You are at least sure Of thatp' said
the attorney, quickly.
'Och, by the powersl that l am, said
Peter, with keen twinkle of the eye.
Have you On almanac, Mr.. Clerk p
Pray see what time the sun set and the
moon rose on the 9Th of April last.
Sun set on the Sth of April, drawled
the clerk, in his usual nasal tone, 'at
twenty.four minutes past six; and the
moon rose at thirty-seven minutes past
eleven
There was q sudden roar throughout
the court, like surge Of waves upon the
sea beach, the face of the prosecuting
attorney flushed crimson, when Peter
Mulrooney looked the very picture of
unconscious innocence.
You must speak to the point, witness,
said the Judge, with all the sharpness
he could command; your answer is i'm
pertinent
'Troth. yer honor, said Peter, respect
fully, its sorry l am for that. Sure,
it's the truth I'm tellin' by the virtue Of
me oath.
what o'clock in the evening was it,
sirH' said the prosecuting attorney, whose
red nose was now getting fiery.
'Sorra bit know said Peter.
think; fix upon some daily occurrence
for your guide, and then tell the iuty If
it was before or after
Chr said Peter, after apparently re-
Gecting a little, 1T was after tay.'
'Ohl now we shall get at it, said
Mr.. Bibulous, triumphantly, 1T was
after tea, you say. Well, sir, at what
hour do you usually take tea?'
That depends upon convenience, said
Peter, with an air of most profound
thought. Sometimes we have tay for
dinner, and sometimes we've dinner for
tay,
The attorney looked vexed. Il want
to know your usual hour for taking the
evening meal we call tea. Is it four,
five, six, seven or eight o'clockP'
Yes, sir, that's the truth, said Peter,
nodding his head.
which of those hours?' said the at
toney, sharply.
If it 'ud be pleasing ye not to be af-
ther botherin' poor boy, I'd be thank,
full, said Peter. IT'S little know about
one hour or the other; we dhrive the
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