The lawyer for the defence interrupted him with the words: "You are not
asked for a certificate of good conduct!" and the judge admonished him
to keep to the point.
The gardener, unintimidated, added that Herr von Abonyi had first
inflicted bodily abuse on the cartwright, who was not his employee, and
the latter then threatened him or rather defended himself.
The judge asked if he had seen this.
"No," replied the witness, "but Janos saw it and told me."
Janos was recalled and confronted with the gardener. He could remember
nothing about it.
The examination was continued. The gardener testified that Pista had
been willing to submit to arrest, but would not allow himself to be
handcuffed, for which, moreover, not the semblance of necessity had
existed. Besides, Herr von Abonyi had had an evil intention when he
sent for the revolver, for he asked expressly for the one lying on the
table by the bed, and the whole parish knew that this weapon was always
loaded. So it was false that Herr von Abonyi supposed he held an
unloaded pistol in his hand.
The judge addressed his last question to the witness: "Did you see the
defendant fire the weapon intentionally?"
The gardener replied that no one could have seen that, except a person
who stood directly beside the criminal and watched his finger closely;
he could only say that Herr von Abonyi kept the weapon constantly
aimed, and his finger on the trigger, so that he, the gardener, had
involuntarily thought that some mischief would happen, and that the
shot was fired at the precise moment when Pista raised the pitchfork
against the servant, who was pressing upon him.
Pages:
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80