Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-06-15
Tricks of Memory.


Courts in this city have developed either
some curious tricks of memory on the
part of witnesses, or something worse.
In one case witness had made a deposi-
ton giving a minute detail of certain
important transaction, but on the witness
stand he could not remember anything
about it, although it occurred but a few
months before. In another case in which
deposition had also been taken the wit
ness who made 1t, when put on the stand,
gave an entirely different account of the
matter. In neither instance did the wit
ness have any personal interest in the
suit, and rigid cross examination and
outside scrutiny failed to detect anything
beyond trick Of the memory. A gen
tlcman who knew one of these cases, in
commenting on it, said an experience of
his own led him to be very cautious in
forming severe judgment of a witness
SO situated. A few days ago, he
said, he was in the Office of friend,
where he was sufficiently intimate to
take freedoms, and seeing there book
which he wanted to read, he wrapped it
up intending to take it.away with him.
Just as he had finished, his friend came
in, and after they had chatted a few
| minutes, the visitor left and went to a
restaurant to get his dinner. Whilst in
his office after dinner he suddenly recol-
lected that he had left the book on the
table beside his plate, where he had laid
it when he sat down to eat. His first
impulse was to 60 Immediately after it,
but as he was pressed for time, he con-
cluded he would wait until he went for
supper, rejecting that if the book had
not already been stolen it would be safe
in the hands of the restaurateur, who
knew him well, and at whose place he
was in the habit Of getting his meals. At
supper time he spoke about the book
and was not little surprised when he
was assured that he had taken it away
with him, the host having seen him
bring it in and lay it on the table and
also take it out when he left the
restaurant. He ransacked his memory
then to try and trace itup, but utterly
failed. He remembered distinctly
wrapping up the book in his friend:
Office, taking it with him to the restau
rant, laying it on the table beside hi
/, plate, then all traces was lost to hi
T memory. The next morning he wa
. again in the office of his friend, and a
: he was about to leave his friend said t,
j him, "By the way, here is a book l. saw
3 you leave on my desk as you went GU
n yesterday morning. at the same tim
y handing him the identical book in ques
v ton, still wrapped up as he had fixed j
+ to take away. The gentleman said h
, had never in his life more distinct reco]
# lection about anything than he appeare
10 to have about that book, and yet nothin
. could be more certain than that he wa
mistaken. What puzzled him, too, wa
that the restaurant keeper was so sure a
to having seen him bring the book i
)" and take it away with him. In man
er cases this might be explainable as a mer
lgI subterfuge, but in this instance the rests
N urant-keeper was a man of tried homo
lie the friend of his guest and far beyon
e. ANY suspicion of the kind. He ha
i probably seen some one bring in a pack
lie age on that occasion and take it ava
Of with him, and, by a trick Of the memor!