It was recently reported that during the hearing of a caae in the Supreme Court, Hokitika, one of the jury waa found to be of unsound rain ti. The circumstances ara thus described by the West Coast Times'.—" While hearing the suit of Kopp v. Lapham the Court had proceeded with the action until an adjournment took place at mid-Jay ior lunch, when a juryman named William Fleming, of Ross, walked up to a police officer iv Court, aud said he wished to give himself iv charge. He then rambled something about aome perjury case, and übout people who were haunting him. The police officer mentioned the circumstance wheu tha Court resumed to Hie aheriif, aod atter a few minutes the sheriff acquainted the judge with whut hud been eoiHinuuicated to him. His Honor subsequently informed the solicitors lor tue plaintiff aud defendant, remarking on the awkward position of affairs. Bjth solicitors agreed to abide by the decision of the eleveu juryman, as the casa had so iar progressed, and to do without the twelfth man. Fleming was couse-
quently relieved, and he thereupon insisted on giving himself up to the police for some imaginary crime, and expressed a wish to escape from some imaginary enemy. In an hour or two after, medical testimony was procured an examination was made, aod the necessary declarations were taken that the poor man was laboring under some delusion. In the evening ifc was found advisable to place him in the Asylum. The financial position of the Russian Empire continues to alarm financiers. No limit is legally fixed to the issue of paper currency, and it is stated that the new issue already amounts to about 900,000.000 roubles. Of the luxury of the Russian head-quarters the correspondent of the Augsburg AUgemeine Zeitung gives a most graphic account. He Writes:— « What are the famous Eastern splendor and Eastern luxury compared with tbe splendor surrounding the Northern Cajsar? A shadow— a mean affair. When, for example the emperor uses the railway, it is only in his own Court train of 17 carriages, which are moss magnificently arranged. Each journey from Poylesti to Bucharest (60 kilometres) costs for fares alone 6000' francs; for the Emperor's table and that of the Imperial suite 4000 bottles of champagne are consumed every month. At the headquarters of the Grand Duke gold and money have likewise apparently no value. The canteen of the head-quarters has been undertaken by the proprietor of the Bucharest hotel, Grand Hotel Bofft. He was obliged to deposit with the authorities a sum in Russian bonds as security. He is allowed to charge fifteen francs for a bottle of champagne and three francs for a sandwich with cheese. But there are people who, if possible, live even in greater luxury than the officers at the Russian head-quarters, and who eat and drink more; these gentlemen are the correspondents of the Fnglish newspapers.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NEM18771018.2.14
Bibliographic details
Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 247, 18 October 1877, Page 4
Word Count
485Untitled Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 247, 18 October 1877, Page 4
Using This Item
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.