Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 October 1878 — Humors of the Law. [ARTICLE]

Humors of the Law.

Persons who are unfamiliar with court proceedings are often surprised and perplexed at the number of objections that are made to questions asked witnesses. Quite an amusing incident in this connection once occurred in the Seventh District Court in this State. A trial for murder was progressing. A witness was testifying that on the morning after the murder he met the defendant at breakfast, and the latter “ called the waiter and said ” “Hold on!” exclaimed the attorney for the defense, “ I object to what he said.” Then followed a legal argument of about an hour and a half on the objection, which was overruled, and the court decided that the witness might state what was said. “ Well, go on and state what was said to the waiter,” remarked the District Attorney, flushed with his legal victory. “ Well,” replied the witness,* “he said, ‘ Bring me a rare beefsteak and a couple of soft-boiled eggs.’ ” In one of our courts a little wfliile ago an old lady was being examined as a witness. To almost every question asked, the counsel on the opposite side would jump up and say, “I object as irrelevant, immaterial and incompetent.” This appeared to annoy the old lady, who seemed inclined to make a personal matter of it. Finally the interrogatory was put, “ Did you see those men in that field on that day ?” “ Maybe what I saw wouldn’t be evidence,” was her answer, “ because I saw them through glasses. lam old and wear spectacles.” —Los Angeles Herald.