The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-28

."tOusi eno WhnuoW hs cunning lawyers
do. John Henry. docs you remember
de twenty-Hft' Of Junei"
"Yassir. 1 did,"
What kind a. day was datS"
Berry pleasant day oh. berry pleasant"
'Hmmphi ""s'I must hax you to
speak de trufe. sah. 'Membah you has
take q hoathi'
Il 'msmbah e."
The prisoner then syss the witness mar
rowly, while stiIl pretending 70 be Interested
In the mango tree outside The window.
Then. slyiy:
Did you see me on dat said day."
-Yassir'
Where you Geo msf'
See you In Massa Robson's banana
piece
-Tank-youi' Very sarcastic. Ihsn.
suddenly:
Where 10 dat banana pieosf' The
Judges yawned.
On de road 10 Johns Town.
'Dat 10 no answer! Dat 10 no answeri'
screams the prisoner.
Don't con-tra-dicti Don't shout like
thsti' walls the Judge. passing = hand
over his brow. HE sAys tho place is on
the road to-somewhere. Come to tho
point"
John Henry says the witness sepul-
chrally. -is you -a-Baptis' membah,'
-Yassir-dose ton year gone"
Den answer. When We meet on dat
midday did-you and ms-hab any
contentious remarks?"
-Yassiri'
Speak de trufs. John Hsnryl" shouts
h prisoner. abandoning himself to wrath.
Speak do trufe. II you 10 q membah.'
Il speak de trufel -
-OA. trufei Where 10 de trufsi' cries
the prisoner dramatically casting his
hands to heaven. -Trufs am nedl Trufe
dat We de gate OBJ 'mortality!'
The rest Ia not silence-gavels banging.
ories Of ORDER Or-derri' Then comes
a sudden dssthly stiffness, with the prisoner
glaring at the witness n vice versa.
Prisoner with infinite scorn)--Choi-
Witness (ditto)--Cho you'sein'
Prisoner--Who you calm chop
Judge (wearly)-"Any more questionsi'
Prisonsr-'No, my Worship
Judge-.Tcn shillings and costs
Then prisoner. accuscr and q horde Of
witnesses adjourn to the nearest rum shop,
where they celebrate the joyful occasion.
II was . grand case!
From time to time The outside world
hears a good dea OF obeah nd voodoo
in the West indies. Obesh cases arc not
SO common in the police courts as they
once were. but they are still not uncommon.
A typical obeah case bristlos with idiotic
mysticism. John Brown. let us say. haa
had bad luck and he has q grudge against
some supposed Jonah. He goes to the
| obeah doctor-a man or q woman-and
states the case. The bad luck 10 to be
transferred TO the Jonah for . certain
sum. and all he has to do N to bring the
money TO the obeah doctor and also
Bring 70 mo . white owls feather.
And . lizards cast Oh skin.
And . ceck ~ white 80 limestone.
AnA . 0ytne nshs nni
After that there are numerous ~incanta-
tons. and the sacrifice OF the white cock.
whereat the evil god. Obeeb. 10 Modified
and will obuss. Buff you whisper 1t
20 a living soul-particularly to = police
man-you will die q sudden death.
In the bush police court. being described
here at intervals. the listener sat on the
edge Of these mysteries. II was a cas-
Of assault. When the prisoner. q negro.
croes-examlned his accuser, q woman.
this 10 what happened:
Where did you meet me on dat EVENING""
-You was going to your home"
You say beat your
-Yassir."
Now said the prisoner, looking hard
at the woman. what make me 10 your
What you said to moi"
The woman suddenly turned q sickly
green and her eyes took on q hunted look.
what was It you saidf' persisted the
prisoner.
.Choi OATS Q foolish question:" cried
tho woman. Under most circumstances
Il would have been. but the woman's face
belied II.
did you not say to me- cned the prisoner
t~riumphantly. did you not say I hab two
lizards In q bottle. and-r'
Il deny Ill I deny Ill" shrieked the
woman. DATES fool question: Dat
you must answer the question: the
Judge said sternly.
81 won'ti' said the woman sulkily.
Then you lose your case. Prisoner is
discharged
The woman vanished through the court
room and was not seen again. The disr
| charged prisoner smiled knowingly and Z
significant whisper went though the court
-Obeahl And that was all-merely q
suppositiCn, for these people will not speak
OF it except 20 say with q grin that "Dere's
nc stoh ting
The attitude OF white man and black
In the British West Indies has often been
a subject Of comment-sspecislly by
Americans. The following case, which
was one Of the last on the list, will perhaps
point Q lesson
Eight IONS and daughters Of the soil
were a~rraigned for trespassing on . pianta-
ton. The p~lanter-himself q justice OF
the peace-was in court, but the prcsecu-
ton was made by q shifty eyed negro
Waterman who was caught kissing his
thumb at the OUTSET. He stated under
oath that on a certain dark night he saw
those eight persons-each Of whom he
misunderstanding water from q pond
which was on the J. P.s property. Each
Of the eight witnesses was allowed to cross
examine the Waterman Ia long wlnded
fashion.
The first asked the witness II he saw him
stealinR water. The Waterman said he