A Lively Court Sitting.

Manawatu Herald, 24 July 1897, Page 3

A Lively Court Sitting.

A native woman, named Wiki Huaia, made things lively at the Native Land Court at Levin on Tuesday la9t. While making her claim before the Court, counsel in opposition asserted that Wiki had not been born in lawful wedlock, which thereby reduced her claim. The offended wahine thereupon swept from the room, but hurriedly returned brandishing a large billet of wood over the head of her defamer, daring him to repeat the awful aspersions which he had cast over her good name. Counsel, however, undaunted by the woman's rage, in- 1 sisted on the point he had raised, and repeated his statement, whereupon Wiki brought her clumsy weapon down heartily across his arms, inflicting very nasty bruises, and very narrowly escaping his head, which would probably have meant very severe injury. Of course the j whole affair occupied only a few seconds, during which excited struggles were made by onlookers to pacify the infuriated woman. The judge, however, had Wiki arraigned before him in the afternoon, on the charge of assault, and fined her £5, warning her that she narrowly ea -j caped 14 days' imprisonment in Wellington gaol.— Okaki Mail.