Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-10-26
UNDERSTANDABLE EVIDENCE.
CHAPTER XIV.

concert, participated IN by everybody
except the dignitied court, the witness,
Grounding, and his attorneys, provoked
1.-The Judge to order the room cleared,
but he at once relented and revoked
the order, much to the qualification OF
the spectators.
Judge: Proceed Mr.. Lewinsohn,
with the crOsS-eXamlnatiOn.
@. You can now complete your an
swer, when the audience SO bolster
ously interrupted you, you were saying
@but-"
A. I commenced to say that I have
since that time learned to write my
name.
The audience began to think they
had halloed before they were out OF
ahe woods.
Q. How long after you were charged
with forging the name Of Mr.. Living
stone did you learn to write?
A. About six months.
o. Did you learn TO write any more
than your own name?
a. That was all.
q. How long after your acquittal of
the forgery before YOU went TO living
where you now do?
4. About two months.
Q. And you say you had resided there
only ten days when you were asked to
sign your name to Major Nordum's
will?
A. [ don't know
4. Don't know what?
A [ don't know.
GrOundwig's attorney: The witness
Is under the protection Of the court,
and | ask your honor to protect him
from the insulting questions of the gen
hn ho hn Of n
Nordrum in charge.
Mr.. Lewinsohn: Your attempt, sir,
at sarcasm will fall still-born in this
courthouse.
Judge: Proceed with the cross-ex-
animation.
Q. Under what name were you in
dicted for forgery?
A. William Wallace.
.. You say you learned to write only
your name-was the name you learned
10 write James N artin or William Wal
lace?
A [ don't remember.
o. What, after reaching the age of
forty years you learned to write your
name and don't know what name you
learned to write?
A. Well, sir, learned to write both
names.
Q. After your acquittal why did you
so suddenly change your name?
A. don't know.
@ Die you read this letter? (Show-
ing the witness half sheet of fools
cap covered with writing.)
A. don't remember.
O. Now Mr.. James Martin or Mr..
William Wallace, or whatever your
name may be, is it not a fact that you
can read and write, and that you COM
united perjury when you swore in the
forgery case that you could not write
your name?
A. Yes, did learn to read and write
when a boy, but have roughed it so
much and got out of the practice of
writing that at the time Livingston's
name was forged 7 could not write.
q. [ propose now to compare your
handwriting with the signature on that
alleged will. Take this pen and write
your name on that piece of paper.
The witness was now SO agitated that
the lookers-on pitied him, and they
wished the cruel torture would end.
But Mr.. Lewinsohn did not propose to
Ioseany vantage gained. When the
witness trembled so he could not
write, and became so agitated he could
not speak, Mr.. Lewinsohn, in pleas
"
the request to sign his name so UNI
nerved him.
The witness sat stiff as stick, pale
as the newly white washed ceiling
over his head, and not syllable passed
his lips.
Mr.. Lewinsohn rose to his feet,
stepped to within few inches of the
witness-stand, and in louder voice
than the attorney had any time en-
ployed, and looking the witness straight
IN the eye, said to him:
''Sir, does not your agitation come
from the knowledge you have been
swearing to pack of lies, the fear
that the strong arm of the law will be
laid upon you, and cast you in prison?
Sir! tell the court and jury, before God
strikes you dead, how much Ground
wig paid you for this perjury
Never was witness more ready to
answer question than was this one
now Hardly had Mr.. Lewinsohn time
to finish the sente nee when the answer
came:
HE agreed to pay me-"
''Stop, hold there, not another word,
witness! You need not answer that
question:" yelled Mr. Waddel of the
opposing counsel. "The court should
not permit witness to criminate him.
self without explaining to him his
legal rights. ask your Honor to in
struct the witness that he need not an
swer the question"
The court so instructed him.
81 withdraw the question" said Mr.
Lewinsohn. But enough of the truth
had been told to destroy the credible
ity Of the witness. 1t was evident to
every one who had heard the testimony
that the man was tool of Groundwig's,
and for pay had committed perjury.
and that Grounding had made the