PUTTING PRISONERS ON THEIR OATH.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 2, Issue 131, 7 August 1895, Page 4

PUTTING PRISONERS ON THEIR OATH.

ASIUSINO JIESUM. The proposed reform of puttir prisoners upon their oath and lettir. theui speak for themselves recor mends itself in many ways to eotntn sense, but has, nevertheless, Beriodisadvantages, says a writer in [ English periodical, A good deal latitude must be allowed to the met berß of a class wholly unaccustomi to public speaking, and whose ore nary language is more familiar tk polite. A reporter on the Midla: Circuit has preserved for us a choi sample of oratory of this kind. T case was that of a man charged wi; attempt to murder, before Lord Wet leydale, one of the gravest of judg who had permitted him, after t prosecution closed, to address t jury : ' My Lord and gentlemen the jury, you see as how I'm what called a peaceable man, and was ta ing my drink quietly, as a man shoe do, when up comes this here pro; cutor, and says he, I'll have a sup your beef.' ' No,' says I, 'yi sba'nt !' ' I will !' says he. ' The: says I, ' if you tench this 'ere mug beer, I'll smash it on your bless: bead !' This 'ere man did take ho of my beer, and ho got a knock on t head, but it were Ins own fault, ,• gititleuien, why should he ha' pr voiced a man quietly a-drinking of I beer? Now. my Lord ' (turning the judge) ' I'm sure you likes a dr of good beer, don't yer, my Loni Well, then, my Lord, if your Lordsl had a pot o' beer afore you at tl moment, and that 'ere chap as is a-s ting aside of yer ' (turning to t High Sheriff) ' should say, says L ' I'll take a sup o' yer beer,' and yi said to him, says you, ' If yer tow this 'ere beer, I'll punch yer bless ribs!' In course yer would my Lo.-„ (Roars of laughter.) ' Now, n Lord, I've been called a quarreler man ; that's a downright falsity, f; look here, it ain't likely I can be quarrelsome man when I've bet bound over twenty-three times : keep tbe blessed peace 1'