AN ECCENTRIC WITNESS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5407, 26 July 1878, Page 2

AN ECCENTRIC WITNESS.

A deaf and positive little witness caused a great deal of fun in the Supremo Court yesterday. Ho was a saddler, and being called as an expert to prove the value of the stockseized, which was the subject of'the action McDonald v. Guildford, he initiated the Court into some of the mysteries of the trade. After he had been pressed a good deal as to the worth of the stock which had been seized, and the manner in which it had been taken away, ho said—“ Evans was in the room singing out superciliously ZIl and 80, and cetera." Counsel tried to find" how much ZR represented, but gave it up, and Judge Richmond spent about ten minutes in getting an explanation, the result being that if Mr. Evans held up a saddle and called out Zll, it would bo worth £9 10s.; but if he said BO it would bo worth about £2 18s. od. as a stock saddle. Mr. Gordon Allan had to “call, out very .loudly to make the witness hear, and having spoken rather strongly, the witness said—“ Well, look here, look

here ; the echo .is -too great. I will give you an answer if you do it quietly.”. He was asked if he had not been arrested for being drunk, but he denied this, and asserted that he was fined £1 for using obscene language. Mr. Allan having asked the witness to be cautious, he replied, “ Yes, oh yes. You need not he so verv particular about addressing them sentimentarremarks to me. Xamon my oath, and X consider I know as much as you do upon that.” In narrating how he got locked up, he said, “ I went for a policeman to lock Guildford up for breaking into the premises, and as I was going down to take Trovers’ opinion upon a certain matter I • was locked up.” The witness having said that the plaintiff had borrowed £3OO from a friend, Mr. Allan asked his name. Witness, “Oh, I will tell you his naine if you want to know. “ Well, he is a woman, and not a man at all. X valued the stock. Do you think I don’t know a saddle worth £7* 10s. from a saddle worth £2 10s., and a winker worth ss. from a winker worth eighteenpence. The stock was worth,’ in the rough, £IBOO, and I said it is all right, Mary, you can lend him the money.” Being cross-examined by Mr. Allan as to how he knew ths value of the stock, witness replied, “Pish, pish ] don’t I know. Do ybu mean to tell me if I take up a patent leather 'winker I don’t'know whether it is worth ss. or lp. 6d,” Mr. Allan : “ What did they cost V 1: Witness : “ Show me a winker and I will tell you what it cost.” Here, the witness struck an attitude, one hand on the counsel’s tabic the other on his hip, his legs gracefully crossed, and with his head cocked on one side; he looked so defiant that it was apparent he wouldn’t answer a question until Mr. Allanshowed him a winker, so the learned counsel gave it up. While giving his evidence the * witness had little confidential chats with counsel, with the defendant, with the defendant’s clerk, and with some of the jury; in fact, he did as he liked, and treated the-Court and everyone in it with the most stolid contempt.