istence and contents; a copy, or the recollection of a witness, would be secondary evidence. State v. McDonald, 65 Me. 467; Elliott v. Van Buren, 33 Mich. 53, 20 Am. Rep. 668; Scott v. State, 3 Tex. App. 104; Gray v. Pentland, 2 Serg. & R. (Pa.) 34; U. &.