Page:The Art of Cross-Examination.djvu/69

 Mr. Choate. "Quite so, sir; but you will admit, will you not, that sometimes the stock market goes contrary to expectations?"

Witness. "Oh, yes, I suppose it does."

Mr. Choate. "You say the bonds were not your own property, but your wife's?"

Witness. "Yes, sir."

Mr. Choate. "And you say that she did not lend them to you for purposes of speculation, or even know you had possession of them?"

Witness. "Yes, sir."

Mr. Choate. "You even admit that when you deposited the bonds with your broker as collateral against your stock speculations, you did not acquaint him with the fact that they were not your own property?"

Witness. "I did not mention whose property they were, sir."

Mr. Choate (in his inimitable style). "Well, sir, in the event of the market going against you and your collateral being sold to meet your losses, whom did you intend to cheat, your broker or your wife?"

The witness could give no satisfactory answer, and for once a New York jury was found who were willing to give a verdict against the customer and in favor of a Wall Street broker.

In the great majority of cases, however, the most skilful efforts of the cross-examiner will fail to lead the witness into such "traps" as these. If you have accom-