"HIS USUAL MANNER"

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2540, 14 August 1915, Page 12

"HIS USUAL MANNER"

'A COURT INCIDENT. "It is just- his usual manner," explained counsel to His Worship in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday when his client was giving evidence m the wit-ness-box. "The usual'manner" was a, most unusual one. and it was this that caused tho Magistrate to caution tho witness about tho delivery of his evidence. The romarks witness had to mako about tho case in opening were delivered fortissimo, and in unintelligible, yet apparently emphatic, slang. When opposing counsel came to examine him, however, witness abandoned the fortissimo. Every question of counsol would ho answered by a thundrous ".No, absolutely no." At length the Magistrate remarked that, witness had apparently been drinking. Witness's counsel interposed that his client had not been drinking, but that it was his usual manner. "Did you have any drink this morning?" queried opposing counsol to witness. There was a- pause, then the questioned • one shouted: "Yes, I had' some tea this morning." "Did you have anything else?" persisted counsel. There was a still longer silence, then camo a thundrous "Yes," shouted at tho top of witness's voioe. Ho admitted lie had had "just a beer" at the hotel. * "And anything at the P", went on counsel. "Yes, same as yourself when you were there with your client," came the reply. Tho case proceeded for a while until witness was asked another question. ' "No." came a reply that reverberated through the Court, "positively no, I swear. Look, I kiss the Book," and he suited the action to the word with a loud kiss. _ Then the Magistrate interrupted. "I will dive you one more chance witness," said His Worship, "if you don't hehavo yourself you mil be looked up." The witness subsided 1 immediately and some inomonts after left tho wit-ness-box.