Mr. Harper. Were you present at the circuit court held at Baltimore in 1803?
Mr. Cranch. I was. The Court was held at Evan’s tavern, in Baltimore. Judge Chase was seated in an arm-chair, at one end of a long table placed before him. The grand jury were on his right, some sitting on benches placed along the wall and others standing. I stood myself about fifteen feet from the judge, who was sitting during the whole time he was delivering his charge; he generally held the book in his hand.
Mr. Harper—(showing a book). Is that the book?
Mr. Cranch. He appeared to be reading from such a book.
Mr. Harper. Did he read the whole, and did he read constantly?
Mr. Cranch. He appeared to me to read the whole charge, but I did not keep my eyes so constantly fixed upon him as to declare positively that he did.
Mr. Harper. Were there variations in his manner of delivering the charge, as if he was at one time reading and at another speaking ex tempore?
Mr. Cranch. He delivered some parts with more emphasis than others. He often raised his eyes from the book, but I did not observe that he repeated more than one sentence without recurring to the book; he repeated no more than a man might repeat after running his eyes hastily over a passage.
Mr. Harper. Did he raise his eyes for a longer time than a man might be supposed to do who was reading a composition of his own?
Mr. Cranch. I do not think he did.