The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-26
BIBLE KISSING IN COURTS.
Magistrates Give Individual Opinions
ON the Subject.
New York Times.

NNON AOAR 4AAAACGs
1t was reported that the police magis-
trates would discuss the question Of dis
continuing the practice Of requiring wit
nesses in police courts to kiss the Bible,
which Magistrate Pool has already aboi-
iShed in the courts where he presides. The
matter was not formally discussed at last
evenings meeting of the board of magis-
trates in the West FIfty-fourth-street Court,
but the individual magistrates gave their
opinions of the practice.
Magistrate Kudlich said he would like to
see the system OF kissing the Bible abol-
tshed altogether, because the indiscriminate
kissing of the volume by all sorts of per-
sons must communicate various diseases
through the tender membranes of the lips.
Il have advised witnesses not to kiss the
court Bible" continued Magistrate Kudlich,
since an accident that happened about two
years ago in the court where l was sitting.
The Medical Society was prosecuting a man
for practicing medicine without a license,
and the witness kissed the book. During
the examination 1t was found that the wit
ness was suffering from a loathsome con-
tagiouS disease, and that his lips were I'LL
cerated. L forbade the next witness from
kissing the infected book, and ordered it to
be destroyed at once"
Magistrate Meade did not think that Bible
kissing in court was a healthy practice, and
said that educated people generally affirmed
or kissed their own hands when they held
concerned, Magistrate Meade was of the
opinion that more truth could be got out of
them if they kissed the Bible, as they
seemed to have a terror Of future punish
ment if they gave false testimony.
II remember the case Of an habitual
drunkard that came before me-" Magistrate
Meade went on to say. Il showed him the
Bible with a large gilt cross on the cover
and asked him If he knew what the conse-
Quences would be were he to swear falsely
after kissing it. He replied that he knew
what the terrible consequences would be,
and | got him to swear on the book that he
would not drink liquor for a year at least.
Six months later his wife, whom he used to
starVe and i'll treat, came to me smiling all
over and said that her husband had become
a model spouse since ne took that oath on
that Bible
Magistrate Deuel. said that so far as the
solemnity of kissing the Bible In court was
concerned, he noticed that it made no diff
ference with the witnesses. They generally
ing on the stand.
Magistrate Simms was not in favor Of
Bible kissing in court. He thought that
taking an oath will uplifted hand was far
more impressive and solemn. Magistrate
Wentworth did not object to Bible kissing,
although he did not think that the practice
was Imperative. Magistrate Flammer did
not think that the matter Of kissing the
Bible was important enough to discuss. He
Magistrate Mott remarked that all people
now knew the law in regard to taking an
oath, and they could do as they pleased.
Magistrate Olmstead was not opposed to
Bible kissing, but he did not require any
one to do ii. When the Bible was very
dirty he warned witnesses against kissing it.
The twenty-fifth annual report of the po-
lice courts in Manhattan and the Bronx.
the old city of New York, was read, and
courts of the other boroughs of the Greater
New York.