Evening star., 1901-07-27
THINGS
HEARD
and SEEN -

or four clerks. The penny was sent back
to the postmaster, but it cost the govern
ment at the lowest calculation at least $2o
to get 1t paid back
\
Some rather peculiar expressions are
used by certain classes of witnesses who
take the stand to testify In cases tried in
the local courts. Many of these witnesses
have their own particular and grotesque
way of communicating their ideas, and
notwithstanding the dignity and serious
ness of the occasion do not hesitate to ex-
press themselves in the manner that seems
to them most fit. Occasionally colored wit
nesses of the decidedly picturesque type,
both from the sartorial and linguistic
standpoints, take the stand, and usually
when such a person testifies a great deal
of humor Is to be extracted from the pro-
ceedings. In one of the courts recently a
plethoric and evidently very self-assertiye
colored woman living In one Of the sub
urbs was placed on the witness stand to
testify as to the character of an accused
man charged with theft
Now, what do you know about this
man, Eliza?" asked the prosecutor.
THAT man." exclaimed Liza, pointing a
finger of scOrn toward the prisoner, her
face assuming a cold calculating express
"
honah, dat mans liah. Deed. sab, 1
wouldn't believe dat man as far as 1 could
see him behind a three-cent piece
In one of the other courts the other day
a similar case was being tried. when a
young colored woman. as witness was
asked the same question concerning a de-
fendant.
What do you know of this prisoner?'
she was asked. What can you say OF
his veracity, his truthfulness," repeated
the attorney, using the synonym so as to
impress the witness as to the exact mean
ing he wished to convey.
Well she replied, with some hesita-
tion, Il knows he is truthful all right, but
as to his voracity l amt prepared to COM
NIT myself. and thereto l just don't want
to say nothin.''
X X X X
One of the most interesting exhibits at
the Smithsonian Institution is an old Ger
man clock that was ticking about fifteen
years before the birth Of the great Ameri-
can republic. 1t keeps good time and is
1i0 years old. This specimen Of the early
clockmaker's art is made Of hardwood, and
the work was. of course, all done by hand.
Every piece of the mechanism Is highly
polished, and it is put together with hand
wrought rivets of brass. The remarkable e
feature of this relic of nearly a century
and a half ago is that the parts show very
little wear, and the timepiece is so care
fully constructed that 1t does not vary a
second In time during twenty-four hours.
X
I'VE have found some pretty valuable
things here in years gone by" said a
White House attache, speaking Of articles
lost in the building by people attending
receptions and by the daily throngs Of
visitors on sightseeing excursions "Ev-
cry once in a while some one finds some
thing that has been dropped by people
passing in and out OF the east room,
which is the only room open to visitors
during the day. Women lose their pocket
books, pieces of jewelry and lace articles.
The losses are nearly always discovered
and the losers return here to make claim.
Every article that is found Is turned over
to the chief usher and is held by him un-
til claimed. The most valuable things are
lost during formal receptions. The jewelry
worn to these receptions Is worth thou
sands Of dollars, and sometimes the aggre-
gate may reach millions. Some years ago
Jerry Smith, the trusted old colored SER
want who has been here SO many years,
found a jeweled emblem belonging to the
then French minister The emblem was
worth thousands Of dollars, being set with
diamonds. rubies and other stones. The
minister was delighted and insisted on re-
warding Smith. He not only gave the old
colored man liberal reward, but for years
afterward gave him IS every time they met.
Smith and others have found valuable dia-
mond breastpins and other articles, which
have always been returned to the owners.
Last winter a well-known representative
reported to us during a reception that his
wife had lost her diamond necklace, and
that she was sure that she had lost 1t
during the reception that was then in prog
ress Although we were extremely busy
several members Of the White House force
were detailed to search every where for
the necklace and to make inquiries. The
lost necklace could not be found, and be-
fore he left that night the congressman
oered a reward Of $1GO to any one who
would find it. The next day We were in
formed that the lady had found the neck
lace down in her clothes, where it had slip
ped from her neck at the same moment
when she was much interested In some
thing and did not notice its departure"