INCIDENT IN COURT.

Taihape Daily Times, 2 August 1919, Page 6

INCIDENT IN COURT.

I ‘ ;IMAG*ISII‘R~ATE ‘AND ,COUNSED. f_ A DIFFERENCE on _:ePIm~oN. i ....._.. Va % “ HAMILTON, ?:iiJ‘ul§,' 30, . unusual incident occurred in the iiourse of 9. civil action heard before Mr E. W. Burton, S.M.,=<in' the MagEstrate’s Court yesterday. Mr H. T; Gillies, who was appearing for the fdefendant, was examining his client, and the latter said he had a conversation with a Maori. The Magistrate Said ‘he could not take this conversa-ltion-as evidence. Mr Gillies put the question in another way, but the {Magistrate said he could not allow leading questions. -Mrs Gillies: “Very well; I will not go on with it. I will leave the Court, He then, left the -Court hurzriedly, followed by his client. ’ Mr: Luxford, for the plaintiff, said‘ he was placed in rather an embarras— I Singiposition. He did not care about asking for judgment in the absence‘ of the other parties. He would leave the mater as it stood, and task the magistrate to adjourn the case sine Elie, so that he could get into com munication with Mr ‘Gillies. Neither he nor his client desired to do anything which would prejudice the delfendant in any. Way. It was the first ltime such .-a thing had happened in his experience, and he hoped it wou:l’d be the last.

{His Worship said he could not unIlerstand Mr Gilflies’ action, 'which appeared to him foolish. He could not break the law by allowing leading questions. He did not like to give judgment in the absence of one of the parties, and would adjourn the case /the next day, to allow Mr Gillips to appear.

K L’ Wlfen the Court resumed this morn."ing Mr Gillies was not in attendance A The finagistraate said that he did not ;wi'sh»Vt'o go on witli the case until Mr ;(-}illie's W 233 present. Considering his action yesterday, he must be asked _§l:'o explain himself. He would adjourn the case for half-an-hour and summon Mr Gillies to appear at 10:15

a.m. ~UpOn the Court resuming, Mr McCormick, Court Officer, reported that {Mr Gillies was not in his oflice, and ”-.1 -note ‘had been lé£t for him. ' The Magistrate said he did not feel inclined to proceed with the casein ‘the absence of Mr Gi:l'lics.—~ He proposed to adjourn it until August 19;

Ml-.Luxford: “As. far as the case is concerned, Mr Gifiies told me—”

The Magistrate: I do not intend to hear any stafement regarding the case. 1 require Mr Gfi‘lies"‘T”c»' be here. The case ivill be adjourned until August 19. See that.Mr Gilfies is summoned 3:0 appear.