A JOKE ON JUSTICE.

NZ Truth, Issue 141, 29 February 1908, Page 5

A JOKE ON JUSTICE.

THE DIILINESS OF DANNEVIRKE DANIELS. A Man Convicted of a Loan. " Truth " Commits Contempt of the Court.

A Court of Justice and those who administer the Law as a rule command the respect of the whole community. Indeed, to treat a Court with contempt" is very often c. disastrous undertaking, seeing the arbitrary power that a Court possesses. Risking all the pains and penalties for contempt, this responsible and popular people's paper wishes to be wilfully disrespectful to a Dannevirlce Court that sat on Wednesday, February 19. The Court m question was constituted by two irresponsible persons named Angus and Duncan Mackay, who, further, are J's.P. What else they are is not known. At anyrate, for want of something definite, this paper will go to the extent of describing them as silly jossers, and galoots, who for their own peace oi mind should m future attend strictly to their everyday business, and leave the 'administration, of Justice to more experienced and capable hands, and minds. As a matter of real earnest fact, it must be mentioned that "Truth" holds Jay Pay Justice m great contempt. The goats ; contrive to be silly angoras when perched on the Bench, and by their ridiculous, likewise ludicrous behavior as a court, court the disregard of the wide,, wide world. However, to .get -back to this Dannevirke "divarshun." "Truth," with becoming respect, wants to ask the Minister of Justice if his attention has been drawn to THE GOATISH QAMBOLS of the two Jay . Pays in^question, and, if his attention -has not been at-, tracted to the matter, will he per- \ mit this paper to bring it under his notice, and further '■ request him to disqualify Messrs Angus and D. Mac,kay from sitting m judgment . on their fellow-men, and thus save, the paltry r~ir from further making asses of themselves and this paper from .being contemptuous of the "Coort, risky proceeding as it is. On the day mentioned these jokers had a number of cases before them to adjudicate upon, and never m the history ;of Dannevirke were decisions more derided than on this- particular day. The ball was set rolling when ail individual named Joseph Hannon was charged that on the 13th day. of. January, 1908, at Palmerston North, he did receive from one William ' John McLean one suit of clothes, value £3, on terms requiring ' him to account for the same, and did fraudulently convert the same to his own use. Mr Downes, who appeared' for the accused, mentioned that the prosecutor was willing to withdraw the charge if the clothes /were returned, and he stated that this would he done, ' and to this suggestion Sergeant Cruikshank said he ■ did not' really care whether the case was gone on with, he did not see why the police- should be made use. of m hunting all over the colony' for accused, and then the case should be withdra^wn. Cruickshank seems to he a touchy sort of trap because when counsel ventured m a mild and meek manner to inform the Court that it was nothing to do with/ the' police, "Cruicky" got his back up and turned nasty and went back on his don't care 5 attitude and protested that he was against the patchingup Tiusiness, and, moreover, threaten-' ed that if the case was withdrawn, he would arrest Hannon and (Summon McLean as a witness. The time isn't ripe for "Truth" to fall foul of THIS SNORTING SERGEANT, ■ otherwise he might be spoken to pretty sharply on his cantankerousnt^s •generally. An-yihow, the case went on, and McLean m his evidence said that he and accused were m Palmerston together, and witnesslent Hannon tho clothes m the Masonic Hotel. Accused asked for the lo~n of the clothes to come to Dannevirke. Wanted thecjoth'es returned, and as Hannon would not return them he informed the (Sergeant, but did not want 1 the accused "put up." It transpired that the accused man had given McLean his clothes m exchange, and that person then held them. It was a trumpery sort of affair' altogether, and how on earth; a oharge of theft could be sustained, "Truth cannot see. Anyhow, the bright intellects on /the Bench could not see where the ' theft came m either, hut at once gave this extra-, ordinary decision, as recorded by a local journal : "The Bench said the; case was not a theft, hut a loan,: and accused would be convicted and and ordered to come up for sentence SPheh called on." : This was after ; Lawyer Downes had rightly asked for a dismissal of the case, and, fur-, ther, whether it was necessarytto call evidence for the defence; and had received the reply that it was not necessary. Then the silly jossers', gave their decision. Mr. Downes strongly objected to a conviction, as, upon the words of the Jf's.P themselves, the charge of theft was not proved and the case was only one of a loan. The J's.P. then stated they, had decided upon the matter. \ Mr Downes :. But I will proceed with my case and call evidence for the defence. The Bench : It , will make no difference ; you had better leave the matter as it stands. Mr Downes : But I protest upon such an extraordinary decision. The evidence of the prosecutor and your own words do not prove the charge. Besides, the accused must have an opportunity of putting his , defence before you. TJie Bench : We have decided upon the matter, Mr Downes ;; if you want to speak you had better address Mr Tansley (Clerk of the Court). Mr Downes : This is the most extraordinary decision I have ever hoard or read of. Can not an accused person put forth his defence ? I shall report the matter to the proper authorities. It is about time Justices were removed from the Bench m the Dominion, if this- is the way they are to adjudicate upon accused persons. Now, if, according to Dannevirke Jap Pay Law, a loan is a crime, "Uncle" with the three balls is m for a bad time. Anyhow, the thing is preposterous, / and the lawyer for the defence properly and vigorously kicVed ami wonted to know what the 'hell the noodles meant by convict-

ing a man for a loan. According to another newspaper account Mr Downes left the Court "m what the Bench considered a disrespectful manner" \ m just. as if any man could have any regard for such out and out idiots as Aiigus and Duncan Mackay, Justices of the Peace. 'That was the first shock to the judicial system that Dannevirke' got that day. Hark unto, the second. William Collis was charged that on the 18th February, he did receive 19s from F, J. Payne, and did not account for the same, and pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Cruickshank stated that' Payne had given accused a £1 note to get a bottle of beer, and accused had bought the beer^ drank it,. 'l and put the change m his po'eket. ■ Evidence was given to this effect by complainant, William Oliver, and Blanche Samuels. \ Accused denied the charge. The Bench said the case was not clear, AND' DISMISSED THE CHARGE. Sergeant Cruickshank : To whom shall I give the money ? The Bench : To Payne. Sergeant Cruickshank : The money, on the finding, belongs to accused. The Bench : The accused has not had time, to give the money back. Therefore it had better be returned to Payne. Anyway, why pursue the matter any further ? The senseless sausages who convict a man for negotiating a loan and discharges another who purloins another's Deer and boodle, and say that the accused hadn't time to give the money back, are certainly not ornaments to the judiciary of New Zealand. Anyhow, this paper loudly, and noisily, if necessary, objects to such louts as A. and D. Mackay converting a Court of Justice into a circus, and it trusts that the Minister of Justice will give instructions that the pair of block- \ heads shall be prohibited from further making disgraceful exhibitions of themselves.