Page:The Art of Cross-Examination.djvu/238

 Witness. "It escaped my memory."

Counsel. "You have testified as a witness before in this case, have you not?"

Witness. "Yes, sir."

Counsel. "Before the coroner?"

Witness. "Yes, sir."

Counsel. "But this sheet incident escaped your memory then?"

Witness. "It did not."

Counsel (taking in his hands the stenographer's minutes of the coroner's inquest). "Do you not recollect that you testified for two hours before the coroner without mentioning the sheet incident, and were then excused and were absent from the court for several days before you returned and gave the details of the sheet incident?"

Witness. "Yes, sir; that is correct."

Counsel. "Why did you not give an account of the sheet incident on the first day of your testimony?"

Witness. "Well, it escaped my memory; I forgot it."

Counsel. "Do you recollect, before beginning your testimony before the coroner, you asked to look at the affidavit that you had made for the World?"

Witness. "Yes, I had been sick, and I wanted to refresh my memory."

Counsel. "Do you mean that this scene that you have described so glibly to-day had faded out of your