Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1891-08-19
FREECH's STORY.
A Versatile Witness Entertains Court
Counsel and AudiOrs

A Versatile witness Entertains Court
Counsel and Auditors.
The humorous witness in court l. a
stock figure in all newspaper Offices.
and many times he is used merely as q
moutbpiece for the funny man to work
off readable article. but such was not
the case yesterday when in Justice
Brown's court, Charles French testified
10 The facts as be saw them in the
shooting scrape OF Sunday night. Mr..
French is a gentleman of decided
originality Of expression, and without
he least suspicion that what be said
was in any degree humorous, conse-
quently bis quaint expressions, and
evident desire 70 tell the truth, the
~hO truth and nothing but the
truth, was a source Of merriment TO
the attendants IN court that after one
or two attempts to preserve order, the
court, the lawyers aud the audience
smiled audibly ana repeatedly.
Mr.. French, upon being placed on
the stand, commenced to tell his story
with such an easy familiarity with the
subject and such confidential relations
to the court and lawyers that be soon
Outstripped the slow and tirssome
method Of question and answer, and
was virtually allowed to give free rein
] to his talent as y rocOntelir, inter-
rugted only by an occasional query
/ ds.one.d - aou.a iuarorfare w,..ffa~ a..
the testimony. He began by telling
Of his being in Hi Astle's saloon on
Sunday afternoon, At which time and
place Hall was also present with .
knife, making remarks about his in~
teutions with regard to another gen.
tleman Of color.
"You see, Judge" he said, ''this
niger had been In jail, and this other
one had been mCnkeying with his
girl"
Being asked IL Hall had made any
threats in relation TO Robinson, Mr.
French replied:
II should say go. From what be
said / Judged he calculated to carve
tim enlOOtn ana Woe.
He related how Robinson had taken
the girl referred to out riding on sun
day afternoon, and being asked which
girl it was, he said.
II don't know her name. She was
a pretty fair looking girl" Gazing
Isfiectively at the ceiling and strOking
his long mOustaehe, he added, "She
was about the color OF a new saddle"
! When he came to the events Of the
evening and PRECEDING the ARRAY be
was particularly rich in verbal color
oring, most of which is lost 10 the
world through failure to have stem
ographer present. Being asked A. to
his conditiOn-wLether or not he was
intoxicated-he said:
mo; I just had a comfortable jag
on; that's ALL"
of the events that led up to the sf-
fray and its culmi nation, he gave The
following graphic description:
~ was in the Iarlor, and this mig
ger (Hall) was playing on the PIANO.
All at once he said, Il guess I'll go for
that nigger now, and be started for
the street, and NE after him. Just as
he stepped out Of the door this other
nigger 'barayowed' (s0ppored to mean
fred bis gum, and the little nigger
cut and run like streak Of lightning"
! Pausing q moment 10 give bis subst-
quent statement due weight, he addeds
"I'n take . paraly zed oath he can beat
anything ever saw running; 1 don't
believe anybody saw him but me.
cause I was in the line of the streak y
Frequently during the courae Of his
Islory. the relation Of which occupied
at least half an hour, he would pause
aud placing bis hsnd Familiarity on
Judge Slrevell's shoulder or knee, be
would gay with much elrnestnsssi
"Judge, I'm giving Il 20 you dead
straight; 'aint got no ssupathy with
either side and rm giving you cold
facts"
While the recital ef these incidents
may seem to the reader 70 be traverty
Of justice. 1t is nevertheless true that
any attempt to control the witness
would have proven futile, and as be
was unquestionably telling = true
story IL was wise to permit him 70 pro-
ceed in bis own way. A verbatim re-.
port of bis testimony would read like
the best efforts Of Mark Twain and
would be branded sslhe livliest fotion
By anyone who had noi heard n.