Defendant: "No,—thank God."
Flaherty to Clerk: "He says 'No, thank God!'"
Flaherty to Defendant: "Ever receive any previous religious instruction?"
Defendant: "How's that?"
Flaherty to Defendant: "Phat's yer religion?"
Defendant: "Don't believe in nothin'."
Flaherty to Clerk (loudly): "PROTESTANT!"
For a convict to give under oath false answers to the questions thus put to him is, of course, perjury. It is frequently of no small importance for a prisoner to conceal his identity, or at least his record. But if a Bible is thrust into his right hand he is loath to put himself within the statute governing false swearing, for the chances are all in favor of his being found out, in which case his punishment will be severe. The writer recalls a dramatic incident of a man who endeavored to prevent his past offences coming to the knowledge of the judge. He bore, however, all the ear-marks of an ex-convict, and the court became suspicious that all was not right. He had just been convicted of stealing a purse. The jury had remained out until eleven o'clock at night and the court-room was practically deserted. The prisoner was placed before the bar. We will call him James Graham. The clerk put the usual questions and then inquired:
"Have you ever been convicted before?"