The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-05-31
g Recause.n y

ia Because, = it is customary to say,
sis a. Woman's reason;'i and the sup
pressed portion of the argument-sup-
pressed through courtesy to wornan-is
that it iss therefore, q worthless reason.
But is it worthless? Is it not, on, the
contrary, very often the best and only
reason ?YtaIta lfaef s,sge sisanay,,F, AZ
During the past week the subject of
expert testimony has been d current
topic, and there has been much discus
sion as to the relative value Of. the tes-
timony of witness who gives, or en-
fdeavors to, give, the grounds of his be-
lief, and that of the witness whose only.
ground is {" BECAUSE ~ The impulse IS
to credit the former, above the, latter,
but if mature consideration is given to
the subject it win be found that the Wit
ness who says at.because'' is quite as
trustworthy as the explanatory witness,
and that his testimony is quitelas Valdal
pie 4 Sd asf1 t3r Isds ~ irs1
There are SO many things that the
majority of mankind know simply be.
cause they know them that sitswopld be
simple folly, to question knowledge or
the accuracy 3ofiit in all or event ms
majority of the cases where the founda-
ton OF. source of knowledge cannot be
accounted. Q. KnowIedge of handwriting
is an excellent; illustration of this The
man or woman who is in constant cor
fespondence with "a friend may know
that friends handwriting and be able to
swear to it with the most perfect conf
dsnce without being alberto give sin-
gle distinguishing characteristic of it,
In precisely the same way one may
know an individual and recognizeo him
or be able to swear. to, seeing him yes
terday or last year without being able
to telEthe clothes he wore OF even the
color of eyes. or hair Probably there is
in both cases some subtle recognition Of
the ilswhiehs go toF the making of
the recognized whole. There certainly
Is a real recognition Of details IN many
cases. andin thoseAeases the witness can
give the details with accuracy But it
is equally true that IN a vast number Of
instances theresis no conscious Feeegni-
ton of details, either in handwriting or
individual, and yet the sreeognition Is
entirely accurate and trustworthysi The
witness only knows ''hecause;" but he
knows Just as we'll as liz he could give a
dozen reasons for his knowing and is
just as much entitled to credence Often,
indeed, he is better entitled to cfedence,
for the similarity which in handwriting
will stand the test of rule and .dividers,
or in the oReFson tha tests or height,
complexion and color of eyes and hair,
can be far better .counterfeited than the
individuality mhichsohe recognizes With
out be able ,tosay why i.,.5g ls.,easrgsa
What often weakens the .'because''
testimony is the effort Of witnesses to
give other reasons when they really
have none. There was striking illus
tration Of this some years Since in a
criminal case tried innthis eitNs9The
defendant, charged with shooting at a
neighbor- was wounded, but not
fatally---wasr, seen directly after a the.
shooting, going from the spot with his
gun over his shoulder. The peesOf who
saw him was a. son pf, the; Wounded
man; and he so testified on the trial,
stating the. distance &tabeaiB forty rods
As the prisoner was "a striking figure,
there was nothing to prevent any
person with ordinarily cleasS 3isfosa
and acquaintanee with the a mans
from recognizing him at that -distaisce.
There was no reasonsto dottht, ffsansthe
surroundings of the cases that the Wit
ness did recognize him. If he had
stuck the ssinTDle truth and insisted
that be, recognized the prisoner ..be-
cause he recognized him, the jury
would have believed INN -inaplieitlyg
But, on cross=eyamination, shreWd coun-
sci asked him hotO he recognized the
prisonery and he iramediateiyx begun to
90 into the details of the prisoners s apr
pearance, drawing, no dotibt, upon his
recollectien9 oi his usual bappeaf anoe and
upon his -knoWladgeef what he then
wore in court The witness testified,
among other things that he knew the
prisoner ''beeaase be thadson shickofy
Shirt as the prisoner then had in
C court. But the 11Di prisoners IS ne counsel siif
showed eby SECULAR degnehs that
the difference between da,,s.' s.'heiickory,,I,
shirt and a White one could not be dis
ti1guishedsthelength dfthe cosntsoom3
to say nothing of forty rods, The, rer
suit was that the witness testimony,
Observation-Disclosures as to sthermaiEi
point and perfectly honest throughout,
was discredited because lie did not con-
fine ahi7fselfI Icto atheanw0maAls2 reason.
which was the TINE reason. Detroit
Free Press. haAa ga -AS4a41@ 1asAVA
srT8isusfxnFr tv7 Ssstssvtt'4T -7f4-fo sw,1sa
/. Microscopic Land. Sale.
10 AssAtcfY 4s150@E $780, q ,fsts3c 8&sA8 E9
A unique sale took place recently in
the Treasurer 8 Office IT wsas like a
show mule race, eachqhiddeis0 0endeayofs
ing to see who could secure the smallest
portion of certain tract 81 land which
was iRcumbeed bY taxes and aleOHple
Of mortgages, The bidders. were Il. j,
PereleS and Henry Herman, and che
IbisElingT gTcemnienceda ae a.rcertainsnHnar
ber of feet and finally finished by being
Knocked dow3 To- Herman, when Vt had
decreased to- 900, 000, ,000s coo 600 s000,-
900, 600, 600, 000th part of the lot. The
price 6f the scrap of dirt was so. 76.
The land was sold for taxeEs and the law
governing the matter is found il Section
% Of sChapgS of she Charter: The
Treasurer shall sseHgon the days and at
the place designated in his notice all
tracts ana llots, or parts thereof, upon