Page:The Art of Cross-Examination.djvu/242

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THE ART OF CROSS-EXAMINATION

Witness. "I said he walked in a feeble condition."

Counsel. "Are you sure that you said anything in the affidavit about how he walked at all?"

Witness. "I am not sure."

Counsel. "The sheet incident, which you have described so graphically, occurred at what hour on Wednesday afternoon?"

Witness. "About six o'clock."

Counsel. "Previous to that time, during the afternoon, had there been any violence shown toward him?"

Witness. "Yes; he was shoved down several times by the nurses."

Counsel. "You mean they let him fall?"

Witness. "Yes, they thought it a very funny thing to let him totter backward, and to fall down. They then picked him up. His knees seemed to be kind of muscle-bound, and he tottered back and fell, and they laughed. This was somewhere around three o'clock in the afternoon."

Counsel. "How many times, Mr. Minnock, would you swear that you saw him fall over backward, and after being picked up by the nurse, let fall again?"

Witness. "Four or five times during the afternoon."

Counsel. "And would he always fall backward?"

Witness. "Yes, sir; he repeated the operation of tottering backward. He would totter about five feet, and would lose his balance and would fall over backward."

The witness was led on to describe in detail this pro-

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