Page:The Art of Cross-Examination.djvu/275

 Mr. Choate. "Did you mean to conceal anything from them?"

Mr. Sage. "No, sir."

Mr. Choate. "Did you read the complaint over with your counsel before you swore to the answer?"

Mr. Sage. "I presume I did."

Mr. Choate. "Just imagine you were down at the Stock Exchange now, and speak loud enough so that gentleman can hear you."

Mr. Sage. "I will endeavor to."

Mr. Choate. "Did you read your answer before you swore to it?"

Mr. Sage. "I did, sir."

Mr. Choate. "It was true, then, was it not?"

Mr. Sage. "I believed it to be so."

Mr. Choate. "I call your attention to a statement made in the answer." (Mr. Choate here read from Mr. Sage's answer in which he swore that he was in conversation with Mr. Norcross while Mr. Laidlaw was in the office, Mr. Sage having testified differently the day before.) "Was that true?"

Mr. Sage. "I don't know. I didn't catch it."

Mr. Choate. "I didn't want you to catch it. I wanted you to answer it. You observe, do you not, that the answer says that the plaintiff Laidlaw was in your office while you were conversing with the stranger?"

Mr. Sage. "I observe that, but I want to state the fact as I did yesterday."