The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-01-21

The other day it wac necessary for
Mr.. Finder 10 60 into court as q
witness. Mr.. Pinder knows the
nature Of an oath, and he isn't the
man who would peIure himself tor
the biggest and best farm in Michi.
gan. Mr.. Pinder was ordered to
stand up, raise his right hand, and
swear that he would tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing hut the
truth. Then he sat down and
lawyer began:
Mr. Pindcr. you saw this affair. did
ycu."
II did"
well. state to the jury what took
place"
"Well. ] Va. sitting in the house,
and my wife suddenly called"
''Never mind your wife, Mr.. Pin
der" interrupted the lawyer.
why, sir. my wife called to-"
Never mind your wife, say! i
want to know what you know"
Mr.. Pinder had been sworn to tell
the truth. and the whole truth. but
right at the outset. the lawyer wouldn't
let him do either one. Then he
began:
II was sitting in my house.
W hen"
Il dent want to know what hap
pened in your house. A fight took
place in the street, and if you were on
the spot want to know ii"
"Well. heard loud talking, and"
IL want 10 know if you saw the
defendant strike the plaintiff" inter-
rupted the lawyer.
Mr.. Pinder had sworn to tell all
about it in q truthful manner. bot he
was ordered to leave out more than
half of "the whole truth" and begin
where it suited the lawyer.
"When l crossed the street q wo-
man said"
Il don't care what q woman said,
sir :" shouted the lawyer.
What that woman said should have
been told, according to the oath
taken. but the lawyer wouldn't have
it.
"Well. I saw two men fighting
the plaintiff and defendant herr"
observed Mr.. Pinder.
do you swear that these are the
men :"
Mr. Pinder had sworn to tell "the
truth, the whole truth. and nothing
but the truth. " and the lawyer turned
right about and limited that he might
not have seen the men be had sworn
he saw!
''These were the two men," he an
sWered.
"And you saw the blows .truck:"
IL did"
"Now, Ne claim that not . single
blow passed" shouted the lawyer.
He Was defending y man with q
black eve anu . busted Nose. Who had
been arrested while fighting, and Mr..
Pinder had seen the fight. and vet he
claimed that Pinder didn't see q blow
struck.
II heard"
mo matter what you heard"
Mr.. Piuder had heard plaintiff dare
defendant to strike him; and he had
sworn to tell the truth. and yet the
lawyer forced him into perjury. He
wouldn't let him tell the whole truth
nor even half Of it.
did you sec blows passed." re-
sumed the lawyer.
IL did"
"And you saw the plaintiff strike
the defendant first"
mo, sir. the defendndt struck first. "
"What! Do you know what you
are swearing to? Didn't you just take
an oath % tell the truth in this case? 2"
II did,"
"And now you are trying to mis-
lead the jury BY expressing part Of
the truth-by telling whst you wish to
and suppressing what you don't !"
EMO. sir. Just a. 1 heard ="
"YOu heard We don't want to
know what you heard!
Mr.. Pinder didn's want to suppress
hut he was forced 10. he
wanted to tell al about it, hut they
wouldu't let bin he wanted 10 tell
the whole truth. but they wouldn't
hsveit. They made him perjure him
elf while swearing tn tell the truth,
the whole truth. and nothing but the
truth.-Defroi Fnee Pnm