Show ABUSING WITNESSES THE dispatches a few days ago contained a racy and readable item it was in regard to how a chicago lawyer wyer got the worst of it in an oral skirmish with a witness this oc mrs so rarely that when it does we aft W willing to read of it it seems that a young maii man named william pinkerton a son of f the late allan pinkerton the noted detective was being crew cress examined and finally the questioning attorney asked him if his father had not discharged him for stealing the witness flamed up in an instant an ani I 1 I as soon as he could find words he used them not for the purpose of answering the evidently malicious question but to reply in a manner as forcible as unexpected he said in substance that the man who asked the question was an infamous liar this was a clear contempt of court but the provocation must have justified the outburst as the judge overlooked it and severely reprimanded the attorney there is no question that lawyers in many instances abuse their privileges vl ahten conducting cross examinations particularly having the right to ask leading questions and suppose cases they will sometimes suggest an infamous or disgraceful transaction transact ign and ask the witness if he was not connected it and all this merely for the purpose of causing him annoyance or of placing him temporarily in an equivocal situation when this is done and the witness replies as young pinkerton did it is not much to be wondered a source of wonder that he does not cleck check the attorney who engages in such reprehensible conduct at times as we all know witnesses are too stubborn or too willing as the case may be this is often carried to such an extent that the attorneys having them in hand must resort occasionally to de devious Ious and artful methods to draw out what they actually know as well as their opportunities for knowing what their veracity jig is their interest if any in the outcome and so on there can be no just complaint at such tactics at such times wh when en not carried to an unwarrantable u dwarf ant extent and it is this freedom which is so often taken advantage of perhaps nowhere in the country have there been more instances ID StanCes of it in proportion to the bulk of judicial business transacted than in utah it is all wrong and the fact that thai it can easily be righted is all the more reason why it should be |