WOMEN ON THE WITNESS STAND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 341, 30 October 1908, Page 3

WOMEN ON THE WITNESS STAND.

. What kind of. a witness is a woman? asks a writer in /an American paper, adding that- / about ' nine 'out of 'every-'ten lawyers will rise; up- in'V answer to the question: and say. "The best thero is." Then, as an afterthought, most'of them will add:' "And she won't lie r either, unless you ask her age;" Criminal lawyers,; who have' a.wide experience, with". women as' witnesses, agree that the greatest difficulty with; a- woman witness is -that isho is willing .to - tell more than :liei' lawyer .iwants , her. to. 'So"'marked is this tendency, that even William H. Taft' immediately- after being nominated for the Presidency, was quoted, as saying: "Get a woman off of the. witness-stand as- soon as you can. There, ceems to. be something in the make-' up of a woman .that make's; her want to tell more than her lawyer wants her to." .■•"Ho must, have': had a warm answer, some time," 'said David May, .commenting on it. "The. fact is, it-isn't the'length of time a woman is on'the stand, but what, she can. let. fly in, .V minute that does the business. A woman' is naturally so quick-witted that; no lawyer, no. matter how shrewd and alert can be; sure, of the nature of the. reply she will in answer to' any particular question. 1 recall that one of the few ' times when Jibe Hummel ,was ev;er- discomfited in the courtroom was when he was; attempting to im-' peach the veracity of a woman witness, and he asked her: 'Now, isn't it true that some one has tried to get you--.' to distort your story of the facts so that- they will anneal to-be'fa'vourable to the defendant?"' ... "Yes,", said the woman,...:, "All," , replied Hummel, -"I thought sol 'And who was it?".. . "lou," said the.woman. Hummel lost that . case. "One of the most dangerous things a lawyer can do is to. ask a woman'her age. If she. is young, and pretty in the bargain, it secretly, enrages her, and she answers all subsequent questions with a sjnse of injury. Personally; I never inquire a. woman's age unless it-is.-absolutely necessary for some .point, of-evidence,^'and'then I say: 'Madam, -how young are you?' I •usually get. an answer somewhere near right, when it's put that way. .- - - I'd -rather -ha ve •a '• woman' 'for a witness any day than a man;" said Herman L.' Roth. Always _ smooth a, woman 'on the stand. Don t irritate her, treat her with courtesy, and if you have to prove that sW is guilty of-perjury, do it politely arid don't hurt hei feelings. As a matter of-fact, 'only a few women, comparatively speaking, lie'under examination, and they can always stick to anything they tell, true, or false, better than a man. They-say more clever than foolish tilings.; on' the stand m answer to questions, and the hottest call-down ! ever had in the cijurt-room was when I was cross-examining a lyoman physician. She was a. very good doctor and a very smart woman, but -it was necessary for' me to get it before the iu'n that she> didn t understand certain ' details of/the case. .She. was right there with the information,' though, vand finally I said' to

■Well, what do you say I am made of?" .She leaned forward with , a glint in her eje.;.. I.should, say,",she said, :','that you are about ten per cent, .flesh; fifteen per rant., bone; twenty-five • per cent, gall, and fifty per cent. wind. Of course, she was no good as.my. witness after that.