Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-11-12
NOr ray

Except those lawyers, whether they be
magistrates, barriNers or solicitors, whose
duties canse them 10 be brought In constant
contact with crime, Few people know any
thing Of the career OF professional witness
may 20 farther, and say that few people
Rre aware OF the existence OF mon who gain
u livelihood by giving evidence In tho Wit
ness hoS, Yet not only do they exist, huo
they derive a substantial income from their
work.
! would divide them Into two GLASSES.
The first class consista OF expert witnesses,
whose duty II Is 80 assist Justice by glvlug
evidence OF a technical description, which
only those vcrstd In tho special technical,
tiles of the case oAn give Thu second class
consists Of those witnesses whose business
& is TO defeat the ends Of Justice on behalf
OF anybody who can afford to pay them.
Of the frat class there * little TO be said
As n rule, they nru men uf irrvpronchahle
integrity. who have earned wen deserved
reputation In their respective professions
or busineseos, Their evidence is often con
floting. but as n rule 10 Is given in good
faith
Medical evidence is, | believe, always
above suspicion. but where the cause I'M dis
puto 10 merely one OF damages. and expert
witnesses have to be called togivc evidence
M to valuation, then tho professional wit.
ness hos his chance II the question relates
to tho value OF property, his mind ~ M Clua-
tic as that OF the auctionoor, while q the
dispute be over che value Of horse would
appear that no two dealers IA the kingdom
hold the same opinion,
II has never been my lot to DO engaged Ia
a horse ease, but ! know one dealer who has
a regular scale Of payment for his evidence.
would not accuse him Of perjury, hut the
variety uf hiH opinions on horsuncsh Is cor.
thinly remarkable / know him to value
the same hofsn at two different times al 200
guinvas and A2n,
But II lis among the criminal classes that
the professional witness ronps tho flchcst
harvest on ,hps0 classcs have had largo
experience, both IN London aud ~ theproy.
inces, and ] ycnturr 20 say that ! am tho
CAUSE vi many a man being at liberty Yet
| have never boon rCprimnnded either by n
judge or a magistrate Cases where the de-
fcuse is nm alih aud cases OF assault form
my chief stock IN twde,
The dcfopsp OF an abb II always Viewed
with suspicion, aud therefore requires the
exercise OF considerable Ingenuity. ltmust
be remembered that the first object OF the
professional witness " not 20 commit per
jury, or rather not to say anything which
the jury would consider perjury For this
reason It Is best 20 nppcarus an independent
witness aud not ns friend Of the prisoner,
So II you swear that you saw a man Nc
certain plncg 10 the ilmo when the oleusr
was committed, and it IL proved that no
was not a. thnt place, II IL sufficient TO
provo that YOU were at That place yourself
and 80 might have mistaken somebody else
for the prisoner
But the danger Of attempting 10 prove
nm alihi without Buccesais 10 great Ia Acnse
OF Importance that L. Is rarely rcsorted Co.
IN cases of common assault and public
house brnwls, where the offender ~ mol
taken redhandcd, the professional witness
eau generally throw 10 much doubt on tho
matter that an acQuittal Il the result
sim IN those casos u u best not 10 depend
on Hn alihi Tor the defense.
The independent witposs who happened
to be present at the tmo aud who stRtea
that the prisoner was the aggrIcvcd party
instead OF being the ngprcssor "a the most
useful man Tor tho defense Tho police
stand IN awe Of him, How often does II
gentleman voluntarily come forward tosRy
that the police used unnecessary violenoel
lie rs not volunteer lie lisa professional
witness whose fec ranges from 80 noto 90
quart Of beer
The great drawback TO my profession Is
that ] am constantly Obliged 60 change my
place Of business, else | should become
moro widely known than would be oonyen-
lent ~ the outside cannot appear be.
fore the same metropolitan magistrate
more than siS times In ayenE
have permanent address which Is
known TO several people but most Of my
time Is spent in wandering from police
conrt 10 police court, both ia town and
country. loaf about the neighboring pub
lic houses, and generally hear Of some bust.
ness In which my services would DO accept
able.
have to exercise great discretion ~ 10
whom tender thOso sorvlees, but do not
often meet with a rebuG, a prisoner is not
generally sonnpulons ns 10 the truth Of his
defense. though sometimes ho will try 10
avoid paying for n, make u n rule 20 get
at least lnree share u my Zee in ndvanoe,
Giving evidence ns 10 character affords a
rich harvest both at quarter sessions and NJ
assises. The price foI this evidence is high,
~ Il eau only be given about once IN 10
months, either NJ the same court or before
the samo Judge. Some brlefoas barrister Is
sure 20 recognize US and 70 tell the prose
cutting counsel.
OF course the character 1 assume In CIV
ing this evidence varies with the position
Of the prisoner. The character OF the par
son Of the parish where the prisoner has
lived az some former period VI his life is the
one which have found most successful.
have often been cOnplimcnted By her ms
iesty'A Judges ON my Kindness Of heart.
compliments which ] acknowledge with
that respect due TO the dignity OF tho law.
-pearsons Weekly.