State v. Egan

I. A witness testified upon the trial on behalf of the State, and defendant sought to' impeach the evidence by proof tending to show that he was a man of bad morals. The testimony offered did not relate to the reputation of the witness as to moral character, but was intended to show his character as known to the witness independent of reputation. The evidence was excluded, and the court below held that the impeaching testimony must be confined to the general reputation of the witness as to morals. The ruling was correct. If a witness could be impeached by proof of his moral qualities as known…