Part 57 (2/2)
Every eye in the court room was fixed on the Swede as he took his place before the court and was bade to look on the prisoner.
Throughout his whole testimony he never varied from his first statement. It was always the same.
”Do you know the prisoner?”
”Yas, I know heem. Dot is heem, I seen heem two, t'ree times.”
”When did you see him first?”
”By Ballards' I seen heem first--he vas horse ridin' dot time. It vas n.o.body home by Ballards' dot time. Eferybody vas gone off by dot peek-neek.”
”At that time did the prisoner speak to you?”
”Yas, he asket me where is Ballards' folks, und I tol' heem by peek-neek, und he asket me where is it for a peek-neek is dey gone, und I tol' heem by Carter's woods by der river, und he asket me is Mees Betty gone by dem yet or is she home, und I tol' heem yas she is gone mit, und he is off like der vind on hees horse already.”
”When did you see the prisoner next?”
”By Ballards' yard dot time.”
”What time?”
”It vas Sunday morning I seen heem, talkin' mit her.”
”With whom was he talking?”
”Oh, he talk mit Ballards' girl--Mees Betty. Down by der spring house I seen heem go, und he kiss her plenty--I seen heem.”
”You are sure it was the prisoner you saw? You are sure it was not Peter Craigmile, Jr.?”
”Sure it vas heem I saw. Craikmile's son, he vas lame, und valk by der crutch all time. No, it vas dot man dere I saw.”
”Where were you when you saw him?”
”I vas by my room vere I sleep. It vas a wine growin' by der vindow up, so dey nefer see me, bot I seen dem all right. I seen heem kiss her und I seen her tell heem go vay, und push heem off, und she cry plenty.”
”Did you hear what he said to her?”
Bertrand Ballard looked up at the examiner angrily, and counsel for the prisoner objected to the question, but the judge allowed it to pa.s.s unchallenged, on the ground that it was a question pertaining to the motive for the deed of which the prisoner was accused.
”Yas, I hear it a little. Dey vas come up und stand dere by de vindow under, und I hear dem talkin'. She cry, und say she vas sorry he vas kiss her like dot, und he say he is goin' vay, und dot is vot for he done it, und he don't come back no more, und she cry some more.”
”Did he say anything against his cousin at that time?”
”No, he don' say not'ing, only yust he say, 'dot's all right bouts heem,' he say, 'Peter Junior goot man all right, only he goin' vay all same.'”
”Was that the last time you saw the prisoner?”
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