The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-01-30

The Truth, The Whole Truth, And .--.'
The other day it was necessary for
Mr.. Pinder to 90 in court as witness.
Mr.. Pinder knows the nature of an oath,
and he isn't man who would perjure
himself for the biggest and best farm in
Michigan. Mr.. Pinder was ordered to
stand up, raise his right hand, and an
swer that he would tell the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Then he sat down and lawyer began:
Mr.. Pinder, you saw this affair, did
your"
81 did," ak
"Well, state to the jury what took
place."
swell, was sitting in the house, and
my wife suddenly called
T" Never mind your wife, Mr.. Pinder,"
interrupted the lawyer.
"Why, sir, my wife called to --''
{" "Never mind your wife, say! want
to know what you know" 34s
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:
81 was sitting in my house when 30
~ don't 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 it."
Well, heard loud talking, and
-
"I want to know if you saw the
defendant strike the plsintiff," inter-
rupted the lawyer.
Mr.. Pinder had sworn to tell all about
it in q truthful manner. but he was now
ordered to leave out more than half of
"the whole truth" and begin where it
suited the lawyer. fa
"When I crossed the street woman
81 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, l saw two men fighting - the
plaintiff and defendant here, !" observed
Mr.. Pinder.
"Do you swear that these were the
men?' s4.t e.ts nf 5sf.
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 he had sworn he saw!
"These were the two men," he an
swered. ~ y.,s,.}l.. rs
"And you saw blows struck"
81 did, s5 Ag...Ja 3J i-l
"Now, we claim that not single
blow passed." shouted the lawyer.
He was defending man with a
black eye and busted nose, who had
been arrested while fighting, and Mr..
Pinder had seen the fight, and yet he
claimed that Pinder didn't see,a blow
struck.
"I heard $500 81 s}.4.3isi'
emo matter what you heard"
Mr.. Pinder had heard plaintiff dare
defendant to strike him; and he had
sworn to tell the truth, and yet the law
yer forced him into. perjury. He
wouldn't let him tell the whole truth
nor even half of it. a53s,, s55s4
"Did you see blows passed." resum-
ed the lawyer.
"I did,
"And you saw the plaintiff strike the
defendant first?"
"No, sir; the defendant struck first"
"What! Do you know what you are
swearing to? Didn't you just take an
oath to tell the truth in this caseP"
"I did," rtR5! ..=l.
"And now are you trying to mislead
the jury by suppressing part of the
truth-by telling what you wish to and
suppressing what you don't?"
"No, sir. just as heard"
"You heard! We don't want to know
what you heard!'' aa sug
Mr.. Pinder didn't want to suppress
any thing, but he was forced to; he
wanted to tell all about it, but they
wouldn't let him; he wanted to tell the
whole truth, but they wouldn't have it.
They made him perjure himself while
swearing to tell the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the TRUTH De-
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