TRIAL OF THE BRAES CROFTERS. 59 



them. I was quite sober then, as sober as I am now, and I think I am 

 sober. Donald Nicolson snatched the summonses from me. 



Mr. Macdonald Will you swear to that ? Yes. 



Who saw him ? Lots of people, besides my concurrent and the 

 ground-officer. He tore some of them and did not hand them back to 

 me. I turned my back shortly afterwards, but by that time the papers 

 were lying on the ground. 



Did Nicolson ask you for the summonses ? No. 



How did he come to get them from you ? I did not give them to 

 him. 



How did he come to have them then? I took them out of my 

 pocket and said I would give the summonses to them as I saw some of 

 the persons for whom they were in the crowd. 



Was the bundle tied up ? There was an elastic band about it. 



Did you hand the summonses to anyone ? They were snatched out 

 of my hand by Nicolson. 



Do you swear that he did not hand them back ? No. I swear that, 

 so far as I can remember. 



You must remember that ? 



The Sheriff Have you any doubt about it ? No, my lord. 



Mr. Macdonald What became of the summonses? I don't know. 

 They were lying on the road. 



You were not struck by a stone ? No. 



Or by anything else ? One of the women, I think, struck me with 

 some soft stuff on the head. 



One of the women ? I think so. 



Was that Mrs. Flora Nicolson? Witness Which Mrs. Nicolson? 



Mr. Macdonald You know Mrs. Nicolson ? There are so many 

 Mrs. Nicolsons. 



Do you know Widow Nicolson, to whom you made the statement 

 about the widows of Gedintailler ? I know two widows of that name. 



Do you remember a widow you made remarks about before that ? 

 There are so many of them I can't remember. 



Do you know Widow Nicolson of Gedintailler to whom you made a 

 statement about the widows of Gedintailler ? I know more than one 

 Widow Nicolson in Gedintailler, but I don't know their first names. 



The Sheriff Did you see any of thase widows ? Yes, I saw Widow 

 Nicolson, Balmeanach. 



By Mr. Macdonald Did she strike you? No, Sir. 



Did she call upon the widows of Gedintailler to come round Martin 

 to get their character ? No, I am not sure. 



