Hannah's Conduct

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 80, 21 April 1937, Page 4

Hannah's Conduct

'AP0L0GY' IN COURT Denunciation Cut Short By Magistrate ' ABUSE 0F OFFICE" Tendering what he termad "an apoiogy," Joseph Hannah, who has figured prominently in the Hastings Court for the past fortnight, preferred charges of "intrigue, corruption and'ahuse of offiee" against the Magistrate, Mr J, Miller, in the Cdttrt this morning. An awed sileuce fell over the Court as Hannah read his statement, which was a written one, 'and a complete hush was the reaction when Hannah reached the accusations in his * statement. The Magistrate then intervened, and peremptorily ordered Hannah to leaVe the Cotirt. • Hannah was last week given the opportunity to appear in Court and apologisB for his conduct on Wednesday, April 7, when he was ejected by Coflstables for his behaviour. Hannah appeared in the Hastings Cdttrt this morniflg and waS granted leave to apologise. "I haven'fr- been getting vefy fair reports in the papers," said Hattnah, as he moved into the bo.dy of the Court to make his apoiogy. "So I have written my apoiogy out on a piece of paper and I will hand this to the Clerk of the Court when I have finished." The Magistrate then dlfeeted Hannah to proceed with his apoiogy. "I have every respCct and admiratioii for British law and justice as constituted, qnd although it is being abused and corrUpted by those' whose professioii is its admiuistration, nevertheless, I, Joseph S. Hannah", apologise to the Court for my outbufSt in the Hastings Cotirthouse last Wednesday, Apfil 7, 1937," commenced Hannah. "Furthermore, having served approximateiy three and a-haif years in the Great War in the interests of democraey and also being a person of soine Standing in the town of Hastings whare I have resided fdr the past 33 years, I, Joseph S. Hannah, do hereby this day, in the name of God and the King and his oppressed subjeets, charge Mr J. Miller, 6.M., with intrigue, corruption and the abuse of his offiee, and- I respeetfully " "Tbat's not an apoiogy. I can't accept that/' interjeeted the Magistfate. "Well, I'll just use the first part of the apoiogy and tear off the last part," said Hannah. "You '11 be charged again,' / wamed the Magistrate. "You had the opportunity to apologise. and I will not aeeept any apoiogy in that manner." He then ordered Hannah to leave the Court. "Then how canl get justice?" asked Hannah. "Leave the Court," ordered the Magistrate. "I would like to make it clear that a man whb insults the Court as this man did, can, in the right spirit, apologise," remarked his Worship to the Court. "But this man has not done so, aud ho is demed further opportunity." The Court then proeeeded with the ordinary business.