LIVELY SCENE IN COURT.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 60, 13 January 1883, Page 3

LIVELY SCENE IN COURT.

» During the hearing of. the case Jones v the trustees of his bankrupt estate, held in Palmerston, on Thursday last, a lively passage of arms took place. A document purporting to be a receipt was handed to the witness Palmer, who was under examination. Mr Hankins, the solicitor for th« trustees, saw that the figures on the face of the supposed receipt had been altered to represent an amount of £95 15s 6d from £115 5s Gd, the original amount. Mr Hankins immediately asked the Court to impound it. The witness in reply to Mr Hawkins stated that the paper was not the receipt he intended to produce in support of the statement sworn in his affidvait. Mr Haukins again asked the Court to impound the document, and the Registrar ordered Mr Hawkins to give it up, but Mr Hawkins point blank refused, and defied the Court to take it from him. The Registrar syiJ that as this was the first case he had ever had betore him, he thought Mr Hawkins might give it up out of consideration for him. Mr Hawkins declined. Mr Hankins insisted on the supposed receipt being impounded. The matter ended by the Registrar " making a note of it" for future consideration. He should have done this at once, or have heard both sides before he gave any decision. We must do Mr Hawkins this justice; he was as much surprised as anyone in Court when he "found l»e had been fooled with a spurious receipt. The whole scene, which at one time looked as if a fracas would ensue, was very undignified and far beyond the control of the Registrar, who seemed 'helpless and bewildered. The plaintiff, Mr Jones, took a lively interest in the proceeding, and in his excitement joined in the wordy warfare, attacking Mr Hankins with such violent language that Mr Hankins had to claim such protection as the Court could afford.