"EXCITED" WITNESS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1824, 9 August 1913, Page 5

"EXCITED" WITNESS.

THREATENED BY '"AWKER MOB." "I wab excited at the time," explained a witness in the Supreme Court yesterday, when ho was being cross-examined-as to discrepancies between bis in tho Lower Court and that given by lum yesterday. • ' „ . . "Was there any reason for your being excited?" inquired-counsel. Witness: Yes, there was. Counsel: Woll, whj was it? Witness: Because I was thrca-tsncui Counsel: By whom? ' Witness: By the 'awfcer mob. Counsel: What mob? ' . Witness: Tho 'awker mob—them that 'awks—friends of Miles (the accused). I was not only threatened, but assaulted. Counsel inquired if no threats from any other quarter had ben used to make the witness vary his evidence. A negativo reply was given. • Counsel: Now, have you been threatened by anyone that if you did not give ovi'denco against Milts you would be shot in for three' months?' Witness: No, that is not true. In answer to further questions, the witness denied that any police officer had threatened to gaol him for vagrancy. . Ho admitted that four years ago he liad undergone a sentence for vagrancy, and thait there were other convictions against him for theft and breach of the peace. He denied, howovcr, that ho was acting under anv threat yesterday. . . His Honour, in summing up, said thoro was nothing to support tho suggestion of a threat by the police, but that tho witness above referred to might not be considered very reliable.