SCENE AT STATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1142, 1 June 1911, Page 5

SCENE AT STATION.

Considerable excitement was caused by tho decision, and when the Judges lett tho Guildhall, where the hearings were held, they were given a mixed greeting by a large crowd, the partisans of Mr. Duke- cheering them, and tho Liberals hooting. A far more exciting scene, howover, occurred at the railway station, where Mr. and Mrs. St. Maur went to catch tho London train. When they had entered a first-class compartment of a corridor coach it was noticed that Mr. Justice Ridley, unaccompanied by Mr. Justice Channell, occupied tho adjoining' compartment. His lordship appeared to be the object of a hostile demonstration on the part of the crowd, while Mr. St. Maur conversed for several minutes from tho carriage window with his sympathisers. Standing at a window in the cbrridor, immediately in front of Mr. Justice Ridley's compartment, the corridor being next the platform, Mr. St. Maur raised his hand for silence, and then proceeded to speak. Ho said: "Citizens of Exeter, when you have been able to purge your town of some of the people like those who brought that action, and when you have been able to clear the country of unjust Judges, then we shall meet again." According to many eyewitnesses, Mr. Justice Ridley thereupon put down the newspaper ho was perusing, and tapping Mr. St. Maur on the shoulder, engaged him in conversation. There are those who say that the Judge was heard to exclaim: "I protest!" and that Mr. St. Maur became rather angry. By other spectators it, is said that, after speaking to Mr. St. Maur, the Judge, much agitated, abruptly drew up the window at which that gentleman was standing, thus shutting him off from his audience. At any rate, after an animated conversation between tho two gentlemen, bis _ lordship retired into the corner of his carriage and resumed the perusal of his newspaper. Mr. St. .Maur then proceeded with his address, in the course of which ho said that when he returned, as he would do, to the nouso of Commons, there would bo "considerable notice taken of what hns occurred."