The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1894-05-11
How THEY KISS rAe soos.


oteutH functeu BefGrc the Iiaf OF IpltCt
Court Justice.
kiss the book"
II the ghosts of these spoken words
could materiaize into any tangible
form. the police courts in town would
be iamned SO full that court business
would have TO be transacted on the out
side.
II is tile inevitable wind-up to the
administering Of the oath
"You sulemnly swear" SAYS the
clerk, that m-m-m-m-m struth, whole
truth, s'elp you God. Kiss the book"
and then the witness touches the Bible
with his lips. That is, there Is pre-
tenS~at oscillation by those who have
become familiar with the oath. and it
is only the noviccs who really do more
than ''ro through the motions"
The cover Of the sacred volume, from
continuous daily handling. has gcner.
ally accum ulatcd a mass of oleaginous
CRIME. The gilded cross, which, when
the book was new, adorned each cover,
has long since been kissed away, and
II othing remains but the dull imprint,
and this is the spot touched by the lips
OF the devout Roman Catholics called
as witnesses
The Hebrew escapes this enforced
osculation, as do the free-thinlxers and
others who affirm, but the rank and
file fall into line in various ways.
The policemen, detectives and those
who are familiar with court procedure
avoid direct observance of the com.
mand. The policeman follows an
established custom of bringing the
book up to the mouth and then i'm.
printing kiss upon his big thumb,
which is upon the side of the book hid.
den from the justice. The policeman
with the large mustache brushes the
volume against it as he takes an oath.
Others in the blue uniform shove the
edge OF the Bible under the lower lip
with an easy gesture which serves as
well as a smack.
The shrinking girl who is over
wrought and nervous at her brusoue
contact with the forms of law, will
raise tl olumc in her trembling hand
and plant resounding kiss upon tho
cover strong enough to take off piece
OF the bark. Other pretty maidens
sweep their rosy lips over the covers
with u delicate and silent caress, as il
they were bidding modest lover
goodnight" at the door and were
afraid that papa would hear"
Longshoremen, draymen and other
! vigorous out-of-door chaps take the in.
| junction of the court literally, and one
of their unctuous kisses has been
knowu-so tbs said-to start team OF
horses in motion a block away.
Nervous individuals, at the given
command, are prone to duck their
! heads as they lean over and salute the
book as it lies upon the desk, instead Of
raising it gracefully to the mouth.
In many instances justices refuse to
allow women witnesses to kiss rthe
book through their wells, so they mus.
raise en- before the oath is admins,
tered, no "sifted" or strained" kisses
being allowable
The trembling lips of aged mothers
falteringly touch the soiled covers,
upon which drop stray tears as they
testify against drunken, british hus.
bands or wayward sons Others han.
die the volume with re~erent touch
and kiss it with an air that prepossesses
one in favor of the testimony they may
give. But the majority of witnesses
view 1t merely as II dirty book
And, so for as the binding and ex.
terual appearance go, that's what it is.
N. Y. Recorder.