New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-17
CURIOSITIES Of ETIDENCE.



Some Of the more ignorant OF the Roman Cathonc
Church have curious idea OF the sanctity Oh an
oath We remember Old lrish woman Delhg
called a. witness at recent assizc 1T Liverpool To
prove on the part OF the defense an 2lt0t as 10
the prisoners. She was duly sworn, ana gave evil
dence utterly irrecOncilable with the statements OF
other witnesses OF undOubted veIaclty. III was
quietly suggested by clergyman Ia court that
the Testament used III adnnnI4tei ing the oath had
cross upon the cover: On TINS iePr. seh'atIoI
another book lent Tor when pore the sacrtu
symbol: and being somewhat reluctantly re-
swoIn on the new volume, she did not Hesitate To
say on being questioned, that all her testimony
iusr gwen was false. quietly renarkng. IN answer
10 4 remon,trauce from the counsel, that she snip
posed she might say what she prased as lonS aS
she was not " sworn on the blessed CruclhN -,
The custom of kiss!u1 the thumb instead OIL the
book WAS considered by many an evasion oil the
moral obligation attached TO an OATH whlIe TO
others, holding tne Testament Upside down was
deemcd an equally etilCacious release. II ese ana
other dsieputabe artInces are. however, FeTy
little INDUCED IA at the present day.
NJ hen the celebrated NerJ ant IN conducted
defence 90 the bar of The House OF LORDS. he pro-
pounded question 10 % witness which the counsel
or the other side Obicc eel TO. After mucn mad been
SAID ell her side. the Law Lords themselves dlsa-
greed and the Bar and all stungers were ordered ~
W hdrav. After an absence OF i've hours LneS
were rcadmltrcd ana the Lord lnanceioI informed
MIR till That he HOus decided the question might
be- put " Please you, my l0td-," SAID the sereant,
II 80 long since asked tie quest tOn that Tor
ct what it was mt with yJur l0rdsllps PERMISSION
/ viii pat another
witness was lately called on a
4
,oiemuly sWOre that tie prisoner on the neht ana
al he hour IN question lil;-o p. m was al nome
and IN bed NJ a distant part Oi the PARISH NOthln2
could shake his testimony for ne SAID be had looked
m the clock lust a. the prisoner went mp stairs,
ana he had set the clock right with the chulch
cincl- himself the same day, and II WAS certainly
lt:2J D. H.. etc. " Pray what DO you make tue
time now Z - blandly asked the counsel VINO cross
examined, pointing % great White 4lai over the
take your time. | ask you again-what Is the
time by that clock now ~ Inc question was re-
peated several Zines and the witness was eventualy
bound to confess tAdt ne cOuiu NOT ten ILe IiIHe
bv a clock at alt Smgulary enough the CLOCK III
the court was standing al ll:2J when he made this
avowa III,
the as~Izes to prove that AT Il particular hour on
certain NIGHT the noon was SHINING aud at the full.
There happened to be no almanac IN court. put
the evidence seemed 20 be satisfactory. Tor he hal
obtained his Information from regular gOou
London ,tatouers almanac" The question was
asked IN crosse Aaml nation, How dld You OBTAIN
TINS London statloncI's almanac Dd you buy
IL ?" Buy 1t, No ny father pasted n Dthlnd
nv kitchen door nine years aeO-hc day was
married o. 1t need hardly be SAID mat Information
as 10 the moons aye during day IN the current
year was Of little value lrom an almanac nine
We NAV remark that all evidence OF a clrcum-
stautal character lsrecelyed with great caution,
and no doubt rightly SO, Oh % trial. Iahe as au
illustration of this. the evidence offered against
prisoner. OF loOtmarhs. Nothing Is more commonly
found han the impression ol boots OF shoes near 10
a murdered body, or TO premises winch have Deeu
\
the trial who depo,es that he took the bOots oil
the prisoner upon MS arrest that he compared them
with t+e loOfmarHs near the place Ot the alleged
crime and that they correspondent IN every parttc-
Mar. You con pared then, suppose, usually
asks the Judge, by placing the boots IN the III
prcssiOnS. and found that they correspondent 7
Yes uy lord The answer Is fatal TO that
branch OF the evidence, Tor the placing tie boot IN
the in preston found very possibly caused the SIM
ilarItv relied upon; the prudeLt Oihcei places the
prisoner, boot beside tue footprint, presses 10 INTO
the earth. aud then removing 1t, compares the lm-
preston mace with the one discovered.
We remember al amusing little circumstance
occurring during protracted trial lot IelOhJ 10
one OF the midland counties few years ago. A
hoy. entering the court and making his way TO the
furV-hOX handed to the officer ID attendance a note
addressed Of tue Jury, the OuIcer handing ~
as in duty bound, to his IOrdshlp on the beuch.
The iudge-irst asking permission opened ana
read tue communication. Alter solemn pause ne
remarked. think. sir, | had better not hand
van TN, at present on could not now comply with
your suggestion, and 1t lsht distract Your atten.
tion from the very serious case We are trying.
The iurymau bowed, and the IuIge careLully placed
the letter between the pages OF his note book.
" hen the case concluded. about eight or niue al
nicnt said the Judge There l. your note. SIT. l
The Juror opened and read IL. SMILED, bowed, and
hastily eft the box, leaving the note behind,
which, we trust, were guilty % no great lndls-
cretlou III reading. 1t was IN a female hand:
DEAREST jim: Mr. and Nr-. Brown aave Just come,
Drought such lovely var ~ DUCKS, you can
think! and the onions ana lDg' Tor Tue stuhlnS ana
We'll have the pudding lef from Christmas Al put
them down rcay at sharp Dccal-e tuc B.. must
leave earlyoy the tram DO leave that nasty court
say you're poorly anything. Mind at /! We -hant
wait! Yours, hllIA.
Poor juryman