The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1882-11-23
Curloslttes OF Evidence.

When the celebrated Sergeant Hill con.
Quoted defense at the bar OF the house OF
lords he propounded a question to wit
ness which the counsel on tho other side
objected 10. Alter much had been said
on either side, the law lords themselves
disagreed, and the bar and all strangers
were ordered to withdraw. After an ab-
sence OF two hours they were rcadmittcd,
and the lord chancellor informed Mr.. Hill
that the house decided the question might
De put. 'T'lcase you, my lords" said the
sergeant, lit Is so long since I asked tie
question that forgot what it was, but with
your lordships's permission l will put an
othcr!"
A witness was lately called on trial at
the Old Bailey to provo an aia6i. He SOL
emnly sworc that the prisoner on the night,
anu at the hour in question U1:25 O'Clock
r. M.), was at home and in bed at a distant
part OF the parish. Nothing could shake
MS testimony, for ho said he had looked at
the clcck just as the prisoner went up stairs
and had sci the clock right with the chutch
CLOCK himself the same day, and 1t GER
talnly 1925 o'clock p. NJ, etc "Prnv
what do you make the time now2" blantlly
asked The counsel who cross examined.
pointing to great white dial over the dock.
NO answer was given. '!Don't be con-
iused-take your time. ask you again
what Is the time by that clock now?"
| 1he question was repeated several times
ana the witness was eventually bound to
confess that he could not tell The time at
all, Smgularly enough the clock III the
court was standing at 1926 o'clock when
| he made this avowal.
we remember a country witness benp
caiIeu at the asszes to prove that at a
particular hour on certain hight the moon
Was shining and at the full. There hap
pened TO be 40 almanac IN court, but the
evidence seemed 10 be satisfactory. for he
had obtained his information from "a reg.
ular good London sta,loner's almanac"
!hc question was asked IN cross. .examina
tlon, "tlow did you obtain this London
statloner.s almanac2 Did you buy it2n
buy I'll No; my father pasted il he
illnd my Kitchen door nine years apo-thc
day was married." 1t need hardly he
salu That information as to the moons
age during day in the current year was
ol llttle value from an almanac nine years
0id. 'o
We may remark that all evidence Of
'clrcumstantial' character is received with
great caution. and no doubt rightly 40, or
TRIAL. Take, as an illustration of this.
the evidence offered against a prisoner. Of
iootmarks. Nothing is more commonly
found than the impression of boote and
shoes near to murdered body, or to pre-.
misses which have been broken in,o. A
poilceman is called "a q witness ON the
V,n', VINO dePojes that no took the boots
OH tho prisoner upon his arrest, TINT he
compared thep with the footmarls near
no pace or the alleged crime, and that
my coErespohded IL every particular.
hnp 7
asks the judge, "by placing the boots N
The impressions. and found that thew cor-
respondent" eyes, my lord." The ans.
wcrls fatal to that bra nch of the evidence
Tor the placing Of the boo. in the imprcs.
son lonnd, very possibly caused the SINH
af'ty relied upon; the prudent officer pla
Cos INC prisoner 8 boot beside the footprint
presses IL INTO tho earth, and then removing
IL, compares the impression made with the
one discovered.
we remember an amusing little circum-
s'ahcc occurring during protractcd trial
lor lelohy Ill one of the midland counties
lew years ago. A. boy, entering the
court aha making his way TO the Jury box.
handed to the officer In attendance a note
addressed 10 one of the jury, the officer
handing 1t, as III duty bound to "his lord
snip on the bench" The judge-fi ask
ing permlssion-opencd and read the com
mnnlcation. After solemn pause he re-
marked; Il think, sir, l had better no,
hand you this at present. You could not
now comply with Its suggestion, and it
might distract your attention from the
very serious case we are trying" The
]urynan bowed, and the Judge carefully
placed the letter between ,he pages of his
notebook.
When the case concluded, about 8 or 9
O'Clock at night, said the judue, "rherc
Is your note, sir. l am afraid it will give
you little pleasure now" The Juror oDcu
cd and read 1t, smiled, bowed, and hastily
left the box, leaving the note benin which
we trust, we were guilty of no great in
discretion ia reading. 1t was in a female
hand:
Dearest Jim: Mr. an Mrs. Brown
have just come, anu have brought such a
lovely pair Of ducks you can't think! and
The onions aud things for the stulling, and
well have the pudding we left from
Christmas. I'll put them down to be rca-
dy at o'clock sharp, becaaso tho Bs must
leave eariy-by the 5 O'Clock tram. Do
leave that nasty court. Say you're poorly
or anything. Mind, at | o'olocki Wa
S''@at "ai'! Yours, Kitty.
Poor juryman.