The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-15
FIELDING CROSS EXAMINES.
He Prepares Maude to Be a Wit
ness in a Civil Suit.
He Is Almost Too Successful, and Loses
His Case with u Recommendation to
Mcrcy-Maud Objects to So Much
Reference to Her Age.
lCoPYRIGHr. 1891

"Maudc," said I, "can you tell the
TRUTH"
"Oh, You want me to be witness in
that suit" She exclaimed 81 think it
will be real fun. But haven't II thing
to wear If it should be Il nice, pleas
ant day might wear my
Never mind your clothcs,'' said l.
'Wcar something that will wash, If
you're to spend Il day in Il New Yorl,
courtroom. That's all you need to thinl;
about. But what do you know about
the casc?'
~ know all about it," She cried
you're suing Mr.. Rugglcs for building
n horrid old factory right in our back
yard. You want ten thousand dollars
out of him, but you said that you'd be
lucky if you got half of it. You said
that, anyway. it would bc all clear gain.
except what those sharks, your counsel.
eXtortcd from you, and that you'd blow
it all i'll taking me to Europe and that
your creditors could go sit on double
pointed carpet tack
"By all MEANS" said I; tell that TO
the jury, and it won't be necessary to
call any other witnesses"
81 remembered it just as you said it,"
she cried. triumphantly, 'even yourvery
Words
"Well, then, forget it just as fast as
You can"
but, Ilowdy, it is just what you
said"
"Maudc,'' said I, you've got to be %
witness in this case I'd rather have
ten good liars on the other side, but it
can't be helped. You must tell per-
fectly straight story, and preserve,
throughout, the inhuman calmncss of Il
fashion plate
Il can do it. nowdy," She protested
you don't know what you will have
to undergo said I. Let me give YOU
an idea of Il scene in court. Imagine
an atmosphere of stale injustice which
settles down grcasily on Judge and
jury, on the witnesses, the spectators
and the furniture, like n layer of bad
butter on a piece of moldy bread. As
| soon as YOU get inside the building you
will notice lot of men with evil in
| their eyes. Some of them will be law
| ycrs and others will be clients, but they
will have been SO long in one anothcrs
society that YOU will not be able TO tell
the just from the unjust, if any of the
former happens to be present.
'Now, imagine what Mr.. Rugglcs
might have been without those refining
influences which have differentiated
him in a small degree from the gorillas
to whom Mr.. Darwin would very Justly
trace Mr.. Rugglcs' family line ImaG-
| inc this creature freed FROM all legal
and moral restraints, and you will
have q fair idea of the lawyer who will
cross-cxaminc you in the interests of
the defendant"
II don't care two cents for him. said
Maudc. I'D like to see him make me
| say what didn't want to say"
| "Wel, shouldn't. for if once YOU got
| started the effect produced upon the
| jury would be exceedingly painful. TO
| guard against such an accident | in
tend to put You through n form of
| cross-cXamination this evening. | will
pcrsonatc the lawyer and will ask such
questions as you will have to face when
he gets after you"
Very WE'LL" said Maudc. Lets sec
if YOU can mix me up. You can't one
single bit, and I'm perfectly sure Of it,"
brought a chair for her out of the
kitchen. 1t is n wooden chair with six
rounds in it's back, three of which are
broken. SO is the back of any person
who sits in it for fifteen minutes.
Maude took this chair, under protest,
and seated myself comfortably before
her, and questioned her calmly about
the leading facts of our grievance
against Mr.. Ruggles. She got along
very well.
You're not disagrccablc bit" said
she. ''You haven't been so nice as this
since 1851"
"Wait a minute" said I. 81 am now
pcrsonating our lawyer who will ex-
tract the first story. Afterwards the
other fellow will take you in hand and