The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-03-14

"YOu can't get two witnesses to
stick up to more than one lie in their
testimony" remarked a leading GRIM
inal lawyer the other day, land for
this reason no shreWd lawyer at
tempts to employ perjury. They
may tell the straightforward kind of
story at first, but if there is more
than one lie in it they will inVarla-
bly, weaken under "A sharp crOss-eX-
animation. Ready-Witted witnesses
can stick up to one lie, and in this
way an alihi can often he successfully
established. For instance, if a wit
ness was actually with the prisoner
say at all otfice-he can transpo5e the
time and stick up to it. That is, they
might have been together last week,
and the witness may state in his evil
dence that it was yesterday. The
meeting actually occurred, and, If he
is very shreWd, you may examine
and CrOsS-examine him as much as
possible without breaking down his
testimony. He has simply transpos-
ed the time, and all he has to do is to
agree with the other witnesses upon
the date they were to swear to. But
if there had never been such a meet
ing OneOr another would be sure to
get caught in the lie, no matter how
we'll drilled he may have been. They
can't swear successfully to more than
one lie at a time. In my long prac.
tice at the bar | have never known
this to fail"
THE most dangerous witness that
can be put upon the stand is a wo-
man. The reason is that it is almost
impossible for her to distinguish he
tween what she has heard and what
she really knows or has seen. A WO-
man rarely testitieS in case unless
she is interested in some way, and
her feelings will uncOnsciOusly but
almost invariably influence her testi-
IuOny. No matter how cOnscienti-
Gus they are. their testimony is more
or less colored. They feel so much
more acutely than men that they are
unConsciousIy influenced. When a
woman is on the stand she sticks to
her story, and in this way she makes
a much better witness than man. "
1.-The most reliable witness, and
the best one every way, is boy of
from II to II years Of age. He sees
more than any one else, and, as he
generally has no feeling in the mat
ter, he tells only the truth. His
mind is perfectly clear, and he may
he cross examined as much as you
choose without his story being shak-
en- in the least. A boy has usually
pleanty of curiosity, and if a fight or
any other difficulty comes up he usu-
ally stops and listens to all that is
going on. At thiSage his memory is
clearer and more retentive than a
mans, and he has no difficulty in
separating the truth from error. A
better witness, or another as good
can not be found.
"Girl3 and young children are dam
gerous witnesses. Young girls es-
ppcialIy, can easily be learned story
and they will repeat it with a parrot
like accurancy which can hardly be
shaken. Then a lawyer doesn't dare
to be sharp with them, as they have
the sympathy Of the jury. Some
times child has learned a story
which it will tell with such accura-
cy and apparent truthfulness that it
would seem a sin to doubt it. |
know of Il case where two little girls
came near swearing away their broth
er-in-laW'S life, and it was only by an
accident that their story was proved
false. The mans wife wanted to get
rid of him, and they repeated the
tale she told them like parrots. p
LOuisCWe Courier. journal.