Then Mr. Cottingham was put on the stand as a witness for the defense.
“How old are you, Mr. Cottingham?” said Lawyer Terrell.
“Ef I make no mistakes, I’m a-gwine on sixty-nine,” replied the witness.
“Are your eyes good?”
“Well, sir, they er about ez good ez the common run; not so good ez they mought be, en yit good enough fer me.”
“Did you ever see that negro before?” The lawyer pointed to Ananias.
“Which nigger? That un over there? Why, that’s thish yer God-forsakin’ Ananias. Ef it had a-bin any yuther nigger but Ananias I wouldn’t ’a’ bin so certain and shore; bekaze sence the war they er all so mighty nigh alike I can’t tell one from t’other sca’cely. All eckceppin’ of Ananias; I’d know Ananias ef I met ’im in kingdom come wi’ his hair all swinjed off.”
The jury betrayed symptoms of enjoying this testimony; seeing which, the State’s attorney rose to his feet to protest.
“May it please the court”—
“One moment, your honor!” exclaimed Lawyer Terrell. Then, turning to the witness: “Mr. Cottingham, were you with Mr. Jones when he was watching to catch a thief who had been stealing from him?”