The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-02-22
HOW THEY KISS TIE BOOK.
Scenes Enacted Before the Bar of Police
Court Justice.

court Justice.
kiss the book"
If the ghosts of these spoken words
could materialize into any tangible
form, the police courts in town would
be damned so full that court business
would have to be transacted on the out
side.
1t is the inevitable wind-up to the
administering of the oath.
''You solemnly 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-
tense at OSCILLATION by those who have
become familiar with the oath, and it
is only the novices who really do more
than go through the motions"
The cover of the sacred volume, from
continuous daily handling, has gener-
ally accum ulated a mass of oleaginous
CRIME. The gilded cross, which, when
the book was new, adorned each cover,
has long since been kissed away, and
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
OSCILLATION, as do the free-thinkers 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 a 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 smack.
The shrinking girl who is over
wrought and nervous at her brusque
contact with the forms of law, will
raise the volume in her trembling hand
and plant a resounding kiss upon the
cover strong enough to take off piece
OF the bark. Other pretty maidens
sweep their rosy lips over the covers
with delicate and silent caress as if
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
known-so tits said-to start team of
horses in motion 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 uthe
book through their wells, so they must
raise 'em 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 hayward sons. Others han
die the volume with reverent touch
and kiss it with an air that prepossesses
one in favor of the testimony they may
give. But the majority of witnesses
view it merely as dirty book.
And, so for as the binding and ex-
ternal appearance go, that's what it is.
N. Y. Recorder.