Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1904-03-23
TAKING THE OATH.
Different People Approach the Core
mony in Different Ways.

mony IN DlHcreht ways
To many people the taking of an
oath on the Bible is trifling matterS
but to others it is an act Of most Sc
rious import, says the Philadelphia
Telegraph. 1t is quite an interesting
experience to witness the manner in
which men and women prepare to tell
"the truth, the whole truth and noth-
ing but the TRUTH" whether it be In
police station, coroner's, civil or Grim.
inal court Policemen carelessly slap
a heavy hand on the leaves, Hebrews
cover their heads and upraise the
right hand before kissing the book,
sailors stand at attention" negroes
and foreigners very often fear to
touch the Holy Writ, while some un-
belieyers contemptuously try to shove
tbs volume aside. kissing the book
has been abolished on account nf 1sani:.
tary reasons, but many persons still
consider their oaths~fo be. more bind
ing IF they can press moist or tobacco
stained lips against germ infected
covers Others Swear not at all" but
affirm.
A novel experience with witness
about to take an oath befell Attorney
Gallagher in Judge Sulzberger's court
on Tuesday. The cases of seven poeti-
cal Cinnamon who had been faring
somewhat better than ordinary poets,
because they wrote tneir couplets on
policy slips, were being heard, and
Moy Wong was called as the third Ce.
lestial witness for the prosecution.
Mr.. Gallagher, for the defense, chal.
lenged the witness veracity, claiming
that the Chinese did not understand
nor revernce the Bible enough to take
an oath. Judge Sulzberger differed
with MIN, but the question was set
tied by the witness own words, calm.
ly delivered in excellent English: 81
am a Christian and believe in this
book. am secretary of the Chinese
Religious Society also" The lawyer
did not have word to say. The Incl.
dent provoked the recital Of another
by lawyer later in the day.
'In New York woman arriving
here on one Of the liners from Ger.
many few years ago was arrested
upon landing. She was accused OF
being the most wicked female crimi.
nal in Germany, and had fed the coun.
try to escape punishment for being
a partner in conspiracy to murder
and rob.
In her daring career of crime she
was said to have committed three
murders, had punched the eyes out Of
a c!lild's head with an umbrella, had
robbed continuously, besides acting
as fence for stolen goods, and had
been imprisoned On fifty occasions.
When detained and taken in court she
maintained that she was not the wo.
man wanted, and swore to the truth
Of her assertion upon the Bible. When
confronted by persons who had known
her in early life, she repeated this
oath with blaspnemous additions. Still
the officers were not conTinced, and
finally one of them suggested that
she take ber oath upon crucifx in
stead Of upon a Bible. This oath sol.
emnly calls upon God to witness the
truth Of the testimony about to be
given. and to record it for the Judg-
ment Day.
when the woman heard this pro-
posal she paled visibly: and tried to
uphold the little cross in her trem.
bling right hand. But the demand was
too much. Shrieking, lementing, ours.
ing, she broke down and confessed to
a lifetime of evil that shocked even
the hardened officials who were
forced to listen to the recital