Show FAR FAB FROM creditable tait proceedings in the examination of john groves charged with unlawful cohabitation reflect no credit upon the U S Commisa ione before whom they were had bad nor upon the assistant U S district attorney we have special reference to the treatment of the witness M A williams the re buted wife of the defendant in a later aspect of the case it seemed to be shown in evidence that she is probably the legal wite g vr ur groves lu la either status the tae witness should have been protected uy by upla una bitsi lt WN wa notion from some of 4 the questions question 4 pat by nr lr clare Cl arge 01 the ground that a witness 9 cannot annot be icom om belled to testify in ia a way to pro produce ude self belt crimination this protection was all the more necessary as the tee defendant in the case was not represented by counsel cou asel if the allegation that the witness Is the plural lural wife be correct then me le wool would by an affirmative answer to the questions of the go government vern attorney te regarding garding her sexual relations with the deanda it be liable for fornication it if her reia relation tion be that of legal wife as appeared to be shown neat near the close ot the me the attorney had bad no legal right to ply her with questions that aou ld rep render sly er her infamous such was the character of his bis interrogation as to whether she had bad had bad sexual commerce with a a number of men besides the fact that the rights of the witness were not adequately protected in a legal sense there did not appear to be any special recognition of the fact that she is a woman the fact that the witness was not ted to consult with any one ae during her examination only added to the aggravation of the wrong to which she was subjected it was a coo con api caong feature of the proceedings also that the defendant several times tim es asked wave leave to advise the witness to speak right out and tell the truth but he was promptly suppressed it is presumable that at a preliminary examination especially which is not like a regular trial the elucidation of facts Is ane principal object fought t that the court might ascertain on that basis whether there be probable cause to hold bold the defendant this instance is a departure from the generally dignified and consistent course of commissioner norrell avid aad it is on that account all tile the more noticeable ile he has usually aimed to condret proceedings in accord with the spirit of the law |