Page:The Art of Cross-Examination.djvu/277

 Mr. Choate. "Do you mean that your lawyers distorted the facts from what you stated?"

Mr. Sage. "I suppose they prepared the papers in their usual form."

Mr. Choate. "In the usual form? Was there ever any usual form for a case like this?"

Mr. Sage. "Yes, sir."

Mr. Choate. "Did you ever know of such a case before?"

Mr. Sage. "No, sir."

(Mr. Choate then pursued this inquiry, in various forms, for at least one hundred questions more, and getting no satisfactory answer, he continued, "We will drop the subject and go to something else.")

Mr. Choate. "Since Mr. Laidlaw made this claim against you, you have been very hostile against him, have you not?"

Mr. Sage. "No, sir, not hostile."

Mr. Choate. "Have you not called him all sorts of bad names?"

Mr. Sage. "I said he did not tell the truth."

Mr. Choate. "Have you denounced him as a blackmailer? When did you do that?"

Mr. Sage. "I might have said that a man who would persevere in making a statement that there was not a word of truth in, and demanding a sum of money—I don't know what you call it. Call it what you please."

Mr. Choate. "Did you not say that you would see