, 1916-03-16

V$fS3HD preston. So fair and bright
a child to be brought into the oppres-
sive atmosphere Of a courtroom hat
~presences of a long line of murderers
and thieves. abandoned men and won
en- of all sorts, drug tends and the
offscourings OF humanity. Why. on
the very spot on which the child stood
when she turned to her daddy" tina
brother of u young woman who had
been wronged had stood and with q
pistol had shot dead the man accused
of the wrong, in b very presence of
the court, Surely. as Robert Strick-
land had moaned, this was no plses
for his pretty. winsome little DorisI
Before Doris could be permitted 10
testify there was a legal for1nality to
be observed. The law does not recog-
nize the competence of a young child
to give testimony unless the court 10
satisfied that the child has been In
structed- in and understands the mean
ing of truth telling. SO District Attor-
ney Gray. addressing the court, said:
your honor. l respectfully ask that
the competency Of this child to testify
be determined"
Arbuckle being willing. Judge Dins-
more asked the little one:
How old are you. Dorisr'
I'm going to be nine years old on
the 9Th of November" g.,
And do you go to schoolY'
Yea, sir. I was promoted. I'm In
the grammar school now" replied the
child.
with a view to probing the child's
moral training, Judge Dinsniore asked:
Did you ever go to Sunday school7n'
"Yes, sir; l went every Sunday beE
fore mamma went away replied
Doris. But now Aunt Helen WON'T
let me go because an the children talk
about me and make me cry"
1t was In a ~plaintive voice that Doris
told thus of the effect OF her Of the
tragedy which had cost a mans life
and had brought her beloved daddy
into the shadow Of the electric chair.
thy With the little one was apparent.
but Robert Strickland did not stir.
"Did you learn In Sunday school that
you must always tell the truthf' Judge
Dinsinore continued. .
yes, sir. That's one OF the Ten
Commandments-'Thou shalt not bear
false witness against thy neighbor.
That means that you should never tell
a lie. Miss Weston told me that.
She's my Sunday school teacher She
taught me all the Ten Commandments
ohaIrV On ~ thau, 10. von 49,
Hero. for almost the first time. a lit
tie CLEAN OF humor darkened the trag-
&c scene. The child's eagerness to dis;
play her accomplishment made The
Judge raise bis hand In affected horror
as be said, mot now" and many in
the courtroom laughed.
Satisfied that little Doris wotid tell
the truth, the judge turned to District
Attorney Gray and said:
Il Think she may testify" and to Ar
buckle, Proceed. Mr.. Arbuckle."
Her full name was Doris Helen
Strickland" the little girl told the law
yer, but the next question. WHO Ii
your fatherf" seemed to puzzle her.
Why should any one ask her who her
father was when her daddy sat
there In court In plain sight Of them
all2
Why, that's my daddy thsrev" said
Doris. and she Jumped from the wit
ness chair and started toward him.
Her affection for him was evident. II
was plain that she re~ciprocated the
love which had made him beg 90 pas
sionately that she be kept u of the
case.
Arbuckle stopped her and with ten
derness lifted her back into the wit
ness chair.
Robert Strickland 10 your fatherr'
he asked
Yes, SIR"
And then, with careful, gentle Ques.
tonlng. the lawyer ELECTED from thu