| Show I y V Kc t BK sty I C 4 3 JL I II I I. I r Is 4 J. J sM I Scene of Passing Parade a i woman and her hats city courts court's witness chair takes on pcr V each time it is used usel It has seated 3 witnesses from petty thieves to murderers since 1940 Over 2 1000 Have Writhed in City Court Witness Seat r I By fly Bernard Ick Chairs are inanimate things Impersonal impersonal imper Imper- and voiceless and although from the day of their inception they have given people comfort and ease there are some chairs which bring bring- fear and awe to the hearts of the public People are awed at the sight of a a. royal throne or of a daring seaman riding a chair between ships on a heaving sea They are terrified at the prospect of the electric chair or 01 orthe the chair in a gas chamber Even a wheelchair frightens some Few chairs are more feared or looked at with wilh more awe awe or held in more esteem and are more avoided however than the witness witness witness wit wit- ness chair of the local city court Perhaps more persons have eased cased into the clutches of the city cily court witness witness witness wit wit- ness chair at Salt Lake City police headquarters S. S State st. st than into any other dais in the city An average of six persons warm its IL wood each day day day-a a total average of about aboul 2100 per year Figuring on that basis more than people have trembled in its ils grasp since It U was first used somewhere around 1940 1010 Today's witness chair is a blond streamlined affair with all of th the necessary necessary necessary essary curves and built for comfort It far outshines the ancient brunette wreck which it replaced when the city court was renovated in 1940 Its It's fastened tightly to lo its ils platform so that no agitated witness can wiggle it off of its perch although some have tried A total of oC 11 it j judges have looked sternly down at the 1000 witnesses who have graced its varnish since 1910 It is true that thai the witness chair considered alone i is an impersonal and inanimate thing but like a woman and her hats it takes on a new and different different different differ differ- ent personality with each new adorn adorn- ment meat Prominent and powerful citizens citi citi- zens beautiful women and old crones petty thieves and murderers all have sat in this chair L. L I. I Acomb clerk of the city cily court for the past 21 years recalls two men arrested in Salt Sail Lake City for vagrancy a few years back who after fingerprints fingerprints finger inger- prints were checked were electrocuted for murder two Iwo weeks later laler in New York They too loo spent long minutes in the Salt Lake court witness chair But Bui most of those who wear off a little wool on its seat scat are members of Mr Middle Class They're all misdemeanor misdemeanor misdemeanor meanor cases the cases the accident victims the traffic violators petty thieves drunks and disorderly persons Many arc innocent bystanders called to testify testify testify tes tes- on a case But Bui even though h innocent innocent inno inno- cent the witness chair still sUB chills their hearts Actually Mr Acomb said few people peo peo- I pie squirm in the chair or even bite I their nails Most people are arc so 50 scared and struck awe that they calmly answer answer an an- and all in any questions Only I intense family battles do witnesses become become become be be- 1 t come excited No one has ever died or suffered a heart attack while in the I I clutches of said chair but several ladies involved in domestic quarrels I have fainted Today's witness chair is in excellent excellent excellent excel excel- lent condition and probably will support support support sup sup- port another witnesses and I serve under 30 more judges before being being being be be- ing retired from service I Whether retired for old age or lack JacJ I of oC fashion the witness chair will be bethe bethe bethe I the only old soldier on the force to retire without a pension I |
