Yollop:  “He did not.”

Counsel:  “You are quite positive about that, are you?”

Yollop:  “Yes.”

Counsel:  “Did he, at the time appear to be a robust, well-conditioned man,—­that is to say, a man who looked strong enough to work and who had had sufficient nourishment to keep his body and soul together?”

Yollop:  “He certainly did.”

Counsel:  “A big, rugged, healthy, desperate fellow, you would say?”

Yollop:  “Yes.”

Counsel:  “Armed with a loaded revolver?”

Yollop:  “Yes.”

Counsel:  “You would say that he was big enough and strong enough to pull a trigger, wouldn’t you?”

Yollop:  “I can’t answer that question.  I don’t know how much strength it requires to pull a trigger.”

Counsel:  “Ahem!  At any rate, he looked as though he was strong enough to pull a trigger?”

Yollop:  “I dare say he could have pulled it.”

Counsel:  “And yet you would have the jury believe that this big, strong, well-nourished man, permitted you—­By the by, how much do you weigh, Mr. Yollop!”

Yollop:  “About 145 pounds, in my clothes.”

Counsel:  “You are six feet tall, I should say?”

Yollop:  “Lacking a quarter of an inch.”

Counsel:  “Ahem!  As I was saying, this strong, desperate man, armed with a revolver, allowed you to walk across the room and strike him in the face, causing him to crumple up and fall to the floor as if struck by a—­well, someone like Jack Dempsey.  Isn’t that so?”

Yollop:  “I never was so surprised in my life.”

Counsel, thunderously:  “Answer my question!”

Yollop:  “Well, I hit him and he fell.”

Counsel:  “Do you regard yourself as an experienced boxer?”

Yollop:  “No, I don’t.”

Counsel:  “Are you what may be termed a powerful man, able to strike a powerful blow with the fist?”

Yollop:  “I don’t know.  The defendant can answer that question better than I can.”

Counsel, to the court:  “Your honor, I appeal to you to direct this witness to answer my questions—­”

The Court:  “Confine your answers to the questions as they are put to you, Mr. Witness.”

Counsel to Yollop:  “Now see if you can answer this question, Mr. Yollop.  You have described in direct examination that this defendant was a big, burly, rough looking man.  You say you were surprised when he went down under your inexpert blow.  Why were you surprised?”

Yollop:  “I was surprised to find how easy it is to knock a man down.”

Counsel.  “I see.  You had never knocked a man down before.  Is that so?”

Yollop:  “I had never even struck a man before.”

Counsel:  “And yet you found it singularly easy to deliver a blow on the jaw of an armed man with sufficient force to knock him down?”

Yollop:  “I can only answer that question by saying that he went down when I struck him.  I don’t know how hard or how easy it is to knock a man down.”