South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-06-01
It Il Z T H .
A BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATION OF ITS
POWER

! the power OF truth, is from the pet. OF
s. II. Hammond, formerly cditor OF the
Albany STATE Register. lie was an eye.
witness OF the scene in one Of ito high
es. courts OF Now York.
A li,tle gir', nine years OF age. Was
offered as witness against a prisoner,
who was on trial for felony Committed
in her fathers house.
Now, Emily said the counsel for
the prisoner. upon her being offered as
Witness. 4 desire TO know il you IN
derstsnd the nature OF an oath ?
Il don't know what you mean was
the simple answer.
There, your honor, said the counsel
addressing the court, 'is anything fur.
Their necessary to demonstrate the va.
lidity OF my objection /? This witness
should be rejected. She does no. COM
prehend the nature Of an oath
Let US see.' said The judge. Come
here, my daughter
Assured by the kind tone ard man.
mel OF the Judge, The child stepped to-
ward him, aud looked confidingiy up
into his face with calm, clear eve, and
with manner so artless and frank that
IL went straight TO the heart.
Did you ever take an oath p inauir-
ed the judge. The little girl stepped
back with look Of horror, and the red
blood nantled in a blush all over her
face as she answered:
No. SIR
She thought that he intended to in
quire IL she ever blasphemed
Il do not mean that said the Judge.
who saw her mistake; Il mean. were
| you ever q witness before =
No. l never was in court before vas
the answer.
He handed her tue Bible, open.
DO you know that book. my daugh.
ter p
She looked at it and answered, yes,
sir; it is the Bible
DO you ever read it 2 he asked.
Yes. sir; every evening"
Can You tell me what the Bible is p
inquired the judge.
1t is the word of the great God she
answered.
We'll. place your hand upon this b.
Bile. and listen to what say aud he
repeated slowly and solemnly the oath
usually administered TO witness.
Now. said the judge, you have
sworn ae witness, will you tell me what
will bcfall you II you do not tell the
truth p
4 shall be shut up in State prison,
answered the child
Anything else ? asked the judge.
i shall never go TO heaven she re-
piled.
How 10 you know this p asked the
judge again.
The Child took tho Bible and turned
rapidly to the chapter containing the
commandments, pointed to the injunc-
lion, Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbour Il learned tina,
before could read
Yes, SIR she replied. MY mother
heard they wanted me to tie a witness
and last night she called ina TO her
room and asked me to tell her the ten
! commandments, and then we kneeied
down together, and she pray cd that i
might understand how wicked it, was to
bear false witness against my ueighhor
and that God would help me. little
child, 10 tell the truth as it vas before
Him. And when / came up hero with
father, she kissed me, and told me to
remember the ninth commaudm, mt, and
that God would hear every word that
said
DO you believe this p asked the
judge while tear glistened in his eye
and his lips quivcrei with emotion.
Yes, SIR snid the child. with voice
and manner that show ed her conviction
of the truth was perfect.
Cod bless you, my child said the
judge; you have good mother. This
witness is competent lie continued. -
Were on trial for my life and limo,
cent of the charge against me, I would
pray to God for such witnesses as this.
Let her lie examined
She told her story with the simplici-
| " OF child, 6s she was, but there was
directness about il that carried con-
victior OF its truth 10 every heart. She
was rigidly cross-examined. The coun
sci plea her with indefinite and inge-
NOUS questioning, but she varied from
her first statement in nothing. The
truth "a spoken by that little child was
sublime. Felsehoo1 and perjury had
preceded her. The prisoner had en-
trenched himself n lies. Witnesses
falsified facts in bis favor and villain,
had manufactured for him a sham de
Tense. But before her testimony it wa
scattered like chaf Tue little chile
for whom the mother had prayed 70
strength TO be given TO speak the trutI
ns 1T was before God. broke She cunnin.
devices Of matured vilIainy like pot
ters vessel. The strength that he
mother prayed for was given. and Sub
lime and terrible simplicity terrible
mean to the prisoner and his associat
with which she spoke. gas like a rev
citation from God himseif