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

s Several cases tr1ed in the Circuit
Courts in this city have developed either
some curious tricks of memory on the
part Of witnesses, or something worse.
In one case a. witness had made a deposit
ton giving 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
a 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 a rigid cross examination and
outside scrutiny failed to detect anything
beyond a 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 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 ofgetting his meals. Al
supper time he spoke about the book
and was not little surprised when III
was assured that he had taken it ava,
with him, the host having seen hin
bring it in and lay it on the table AMI
lalso take it out when he left tn
restaurant. He ransacked his memor,
then to try and trace it up, but utterl,
failed. He remembered, distinct,
wrapping up the book in his friend
office, taking itwith him to the restau
rant, laying it on the table beside hi
plate, then all traces was lost to hi
{ memory. The next morning he wa
again in the office Of his friend, and d
he was about to leave his friend said I
i him, "By the way, here, is a book, I sa1
5 you leave on my desk as you went ou
, yesterday morning. at the same tim
!, handing him the identical book in que.
! ton, still wrapped upsas he had fixed
/ to take away. The gentleman said i
had never iDfis life more distinct reco
{ lection about anything than he appeare
Q to have about that book, and yet nothin
could be more certain than that he ":
Z mistaken. What puzzled him, too, ws
that the restaurant-keepe was so sure ;
to having seen him bring the book.
/" apd take. it away with him. In man
r cases this might be explainable as me-
g subterfuge, but in this instance the rest
n urant- keeper was man of tired homo
e| the friend of his guest, and far beyon
} any suspicion of the kind. He la
i lprobably seen some one bring In pacl
lei age on that occasion and take it ava
81 with him, and, by a trick Of the memor