The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-10-11
TRI-WEEKLY EDITION.
little rascal, sspringing to his feet, 'ff Pm

little rascal, springing to his feet, eff Pm
to be insultcd in this way"
"Kccp still, will you," said his Honor,
land let the witness proceed" | had made
favorable impression ut the start, and il
gave me confidence. I resumed:
"lt was warm moonlight evening, and
| the mist rising above the cataract was less
dense than usual 50 | could see tolcrably
well. just ut the brink on an ovcrhanginu
rock, | saw tall bent figure in gray
clothes, wearing slouch hat--a very bad
nat; L don't see more than hundred
worse ones in the ROOM" There was u
smile all around, and then the District At
torncy asked me il | had known the de-
ceased Mr. Thatcher, in his life time.
replied that | had not-had never scc,,
him.
"Rclhcmber that, gentlemen Of the iury,'
said he, with Il conccitcd smile; "rcmcm-
Der the witness had never seen nor heard of
the deceased We G1u't mean to contro-
vert the witnesses statement on that point,
SIR he added, addressing the counsel for
tho defence, and smirlIing as if he had got
hold OF good thing which he would hold
In reserve rs a final crushcr."
| 'Cuss you!' roarcd the Judge, "kccD
your mouth shut, will y,u2 The witness
will proceed"
| VI approached this person on the rock, :"
l continued, 'and said, Good evening, -
| Bet you five dollars il amt !" said he,
turning sharply about.
ht tlls there was general snggcr from
| the spectators, and Dave Thatchcr's widow
who sat near, lookedup with sudden hone
III her face that was cheerful to see. | re-
sumcd my testimony:
'Do you sec that oak on the other bank2n
continued the man Oh the rock, yointinr TO
conspicuous pine.
"l thought the fellow must be mani G.
and did not know just what to answer:
but presently replied that was not certain
whether L saw it or mott depended on
circumstances.
"i!e was silent for some moments then
he shvcrcd and chartered his teeth.
snow before morning, said he. per
maps 81, said l, non-committally Seems
tnlckening up, but that may be an optical
Illusion
Then he wanted to know if l rcmcm-
oercd what year General Jackson was cleo
tea Presidcnt-'w wasn't it in '522' I told
him did not rccolcct. After n wbiIe IN
said carclossly:
ABOUT running Ben. Franklin for next Prcsi
dent
81 made no reply. Then he came up to
me and laid a hand on my shoulder.
+" See here, stranger, said he, is there
any subject you feel at home on2 Have YOU
got any hobby-any opinions
Il am not sure, replied; Some pco
pic have opinions, and some don't have
any. Some that do have them don't have
them all the time; those who have them all
the time often forget them"
"'Well, swcarn said he disgusted,
Pm going to jump over these fails-bct
you five dollars will =
81 said nothing and he continued: q
shall be exactly three seconds and Il half
getting TO the bottom-won't /, now2'
"'Possibly, Maybe lttlp marc than
thal-maybo q little less---maybe just that.
| don't remember jumping over any cas-
cades myself
''IIe gave me one look, laid off his hat,
backed up to the brink of the prccipicc, and
dropped himself down, hanging on 10 the
edge with his hands. Then Ao lot 80, fall
ing thrco hundred feet into tho boiling
whirlpool bclow!"
'N1ay it please the court" shrickcd the
little District Attorney, lunging forward
upon his feet, 'I want to put one question
to this witnasa now! You say, sir, you
had mover scon the deceased Mr.. Thatcher
up 10 the moment you met him on the rock
AND never heard of hlm--and mover heard
of any Of his relations. Now, sir, on your
oath, on your Bible oath sir how do you
know that this man you saw 90 over the
falls was Dave Thatcher2 How do you
know it sir2"
81 don't know it. I know it was not lie.
For Just before he lot go the rock he looked
Up at me, with his nose above tho odgo,
and said:
"You think Pm Dave Thatcher, don't
you2
81 told him he might be, or he might
not.
"Just so!' he said, desperately. as his
fingers began to slip. Bet. you five dollars
aint,'
There was good deal of loose talk In
court after tins, but the spectators would
not liaton to 1t, and D--was triumph
antly acquitted, being borne through the
town on the shoulders of the jury, to the
music of brass band and the cheers of the
whole population.
But Dayc ThatGhcr's window persisted
IN putting Hp Q handspmo headstpne oycr
| thG rcmafhs of the unknown dead, and was
going to have it inscribed with her late
husbands name, and what she still regard
ed as the manner Of his death, when Bob
stopped the proceedings by marrying her.
81 don't gee what all this has to do with
tho queatlon Of tho advisablllty of swearing
witnesses in court" said when John had
finished his yarn.
'Don't, eh9 It's got this to do with it.
There wasn't prison in the State which
had not broken out of a thousand timea #
| hadn't been PVT Npop my Bible oath What
was TO proyont my fcllinga lie ~
The oueon---The WIFE
Long years ago-but this is q bit pi OK