LIBEL CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 114, 12 May 1903, Page 2

LIBEL CASE.

SCENE INT COURT. ACCUSED DEFIES JUDGE CONOLLE, lEE PBKJS ASSOCIATION. Auckland, May 11. Richardson, who u charged with having published a defamatory libel, created a scene in the Supreme Court. He stated that two constables had sent Judge Con' lly a copy of the paper containing the comin9ut on his Honor's decision in the Bawes divorce case, which would prejudice His Honor in trying tbe present case, if he were human. Justice Oonolly said be had not seen the article referred to, and no one had attempted to bias him. Accused: " I want an absolutely unbiased trial." I His Honor; D; you say you will not get an unbiased trial at my hands ? - , Accused: " I want to be quite sure/ Hit Honor: How ? Accused : By hiving a Judge on the Bjcch whom I bave not criticised. I thitk I will be ab!e to show you you hive shown same bias." Accused, con* tinuiog, said Justice Oonolly, ia his charge to the Grand Jury, commented on i h'i fact that the newspapers of this colony had e«ciped the liw of libel. His Honor: I said the newspapers were, as a rule, conducted by ditcreat editors ond proprietors, and thit they dil not; publish libels. Accused: The inuendo is that my newspaper is one that has brought itself under the law. < His Honor; I cau taka no notice of ' that. 1 Accused sail he visited Judge Oonolly's residence to see his coachman cn political matters, when'one if Judge Oonolly'e daughters— His Honor: (warmly): I won't have my daughter's name mentioned in this Court. Accused said he would mention her name in this Court. His Honor (warmly): You shall not do so, and I shall not permit it This is moat disgraceful. Accused psrsisted whereupon Justice Oonolly said he Vould have accused taben below and locked up if he insulted his daughter, Accused said ha would state that he dropped all reference to the judge's daughter, but persisted in reading from a newspaper despite His Honor's prottst that it was irregular. ] His Honor ordered the police to lock I accused in the cells until he was in a better frame of mind. The police,, thereupon, seized accused by His : Honor's order, and took the paper from him

mm. Accused: Do you call this justice s I will go below till the day I die, so long as I get a fair trial." He twitted the judge with having his decision in tha Bewescase reversed. His Honor said he hid made a mistake in a point of law, Accused siid the liewes case showed that His Honor was a man of strong piculiaiiti s. Why did His Honor wire to her as to the case ? His Honor: Because it is my duty. Accused's plea was then tairen. The Grown Prosecutor was reidy to rep'y, but accused asked for a remand to further prepare his argument and the case was reminded accordingly,