The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-11-29
A SHADY PROFESSION.
ONE OF ITS FOLLOWERS MAKES IN
TERESvIkG REVELATIONS.
Professional Witnesses who rolIow ~ cir
Vocation I'm EDxiish Law Courts They
Are Always Ready to Help Defeat Tia.
Ends Of Justice For rsy.

Vocation In Epxiish Law Courts : The,
Are Always Ready to Help Defeat Tia,
Ends Of Justice For Fay.
Except thoce lawyers, whether thcv n
magistrates, barris.ers or solicitors who's,
duties cause then 20 lie brought Ia soxst IA,
contsct with crime, few people Lnew aay
thing OF the career OF n profss,loneI witness
may go farther, ard Say that few peopl,
frc nwere OF the existence OF men who gair
sliveiihood by giving evidence IL the wit
hess box. Yet not only do they exist. bu,
They derive substantial income frora theil
work.
i would divide them into two classes
The first class consists of expert witnesses
whose duty u is to assist justice by giving
evidence Of n technical description, which
only those versed in the special technical
ltics OF the case can give. The second class
consists Of those witnesses whose busines,
it Is TO defeat the ends Of justice on behalf
OF anybody who can afford TO pay them.
OF the first class there Is little to be sa;d
AS rule. they are men of irreproachable
integrity, who have earned a well deserved
reputation in their respective professions
or businesses. Their evidence IS often con.
ficting. but as a rule 1t is given II, good
faith.
Medical evidence Is, believe, always
above suspicion, but where the cause in dis
pate is merely one of damages, and expert
witnesses have TO be called to give evidence
as to valuation, then the professional wit
ness has his chance. If the question relates
TO the valuo OF property, his mind Is as elas-
tic as that of the auctioneer, while IL the
IN ha q h<.. Al, L
appear that no two dealers in the kingdom
bold the same opinion.
it has never been my lot to be engaged in
horse case. but know one dealer who has
regular scale OF payment for his evidence.
would not accuse him of perjury. but the
variety OF his opinions on horsefesh is GER
tainly remarkable. knew him to value
the same horse at two different times at 200
guineas and R25.
But it is among the criminal classes that
the professional witness reaps the richest
harvest. or these classes have had large
experience, both in London and in the prov
inces, and venture to say that am the
cause OF many man being at liberty. Yet
have never been reprimanded either by a
Judge or magistrate Cases where the de-
Tense is an alibi and cases of assault form
my chief stock in trade.
The defense Of an alibi is always viewed
with suspicion, and therefore requires the
exercise OF considerable ingenuity. 1t must
be remembered that the frs. objec. of the
professional witness is not to commit per.
jury, or rather not to say anything which
the jury would consider perjury. For this
reason 1t is best to appear as an independent
witness and not as n friend Of the prisoner.
So II you swear that you saw O man at a
certain place at the time when the offense
was committed, and 1t is proved that he
was not at that place, it is sufficient to
prove that you were at that place yourself
and so might have mistaken somebody else
for the prisoner.
But the danger OF attempting to prove
IN alibi without success is SO great in case
Of Importance that it is rarely resorted to.
In cases of common assault and public
house brawls, where the offender Is net
.aken redhanded, the professional witness
IAN generally throw SO much doubt on the
natter that an acquittal is the result.
still, in these cases it is best not to depend
IN an alibi for the defense.
The independent witness who happened
o be present at the time and who states
hat the prisoner was the aggrieved party
instead OF being the aggressor is the most
Isefui man for the defense. The police
tand in awe of him. How often does a
,entleman voluntarily come forward to say
hat the police used unnecessary violence?
lie is not volunteer. He isa professional
vitness whose fee ranges from a5 note to
quart of beer.
The great drawback to my profession is
hat am constantly obliged to change my
lace Of business. else I should become
,ore widely known than would be conven-
INT. At the outside cannot appear be-
pre- the same metropolitan magistrate |
lore than six times In year.
l have q permanent address which Is 1
nown to several people. but most Of my
me Is spent in wandering from police
burt to police court, both in town and |
,untry. loaf about the neighboring pub
C houses, and generally hear of some busi-
ess In which my services would be accept
ole
have to exercise great discretion az to
hom tender those services, but / do not
ten meet with rebuff. a prisoner ia not
scrupulous as to the truth of his
,fense, though sometimes he will try to
-Utd paying for it. / make it a rule to ret
least large share of my fec in advance.
Giving evidence as to character affords a
ch harvest both at quarter sessions and az
sizes. The price for this evidence Is high,
it can only be given about onco In Is l.
onths, either at the same court or before
e same Judge. Some briedess barrister ia
re to recognize US and TO tell the prose
ting counsel.
or course the character I assume In Civ
& this evidence varies with the position |
the prisoner. The character OF the par
n of the parish where the prisoner has
'ed at some former period Of his life IL tho
e which have found most successful.
we often been complimented by her ma
Jty's judges on my kindness OF hesr..
'npliments which / acknowledge with
Mt respect due to the dignity Of the law.
Parsons Weekly.