LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 190, 15 September 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Kangitikei bye-elcclioii takes place to-morrow. The Jewish New Year, which bears the number .3070, begins to-night. Today also begin the ten pentinetial days, which end with the great day of atonement on September 25. , The foreman of the jury who adjudicated upon the liawera assault case vesiterday was not sworn. lie hail not been iacluded in the. original panel, but was commandeered from the body of the court when the stock of jurymen ran short.

"Although his Honor may ililFcr from me on this point, you must remember what I say, .and, after ali, gentlemen, your opinion is all that matters."—A crumb trom the table of King's Counsel m his address to the jury in the alleged slander case.

During a recent session of the Supreme Court a lawyer was asked by a humorous friend: "Have you lawyers any sense of right or wrong? Upon my word, when I see the way you wrangle and take up rotten cases, Pm inclined to doubt it." " Bather," answered the lawyer. "The other side is always wrong."

A man named Albert Edward Palmer was arrested yesterday on a charge of wife desertion, and was brought before Mr. 11. S. EiUherhert, S.'M., during the afternoon. He slated that he had left Xew I'lynwmth for ILtwcra in quest <>f work, but returned to his home on Friday last. He was remanded until this afteni'Mui. bail being granted in his own reotgnisuicv of £25. i At the courthouse yesterday afternoon

a colonial inquiry was opened concerning Saturday night's lire in Devon Street. Mr, H. S. l'iUherbert, K.M., presided, and the jurv was of Messrs. J. .Bennett. J. Blvt'h, 11. R llnssoll, S.

Jackson, .1. C. Morey, V. T. ltundic, Mr. Blyth being chosen forvman. The jury inspected the premises, and tiie ni M u.ry was adjourned until Monday week at 9.30.

Ror the vacancy 011 the Taranaki Education Board caused by the death of Mr. Henry Faull the following nominations have been received: —Thomas Buchanan, of nominated by the Huiraugi and Waitara School .Committees; A. H.

j llalcombe, of Urenui, noininate.il by the ll'renui, Waihi, Hillsborough, Norfolk and lUruti School Committees; .lames Uatt.cnbury, of Waitara, nominated by the Kaimata and Waitara School Committees. I Tiit; election will take place on October 4.

Interviewed on the subject of criticisms 'upon iiis recent utterances at the opening of TattersaH's Club on the sub-| jeet (»f sport, the lion. James Carroll j said he was rather pleased to see they | had received so much comment. Apart 1 i from personal allusion*, this wa> a big social question, which had to be considered. In his opinion there are only two ways of dealing with it—either bv an organised movement, which will minimise the attendant evils or by repeal of the law and abolition of the iotalisator. He did not care which. At the inglewood Court yesterday, before Mr. Greenfield, S.M., judgment for plaintilV by delimit was given in the .following cases:—Moa Road Board v. Edward South, CU 15s 7d (costs 15s, solicitor's fee 15s (id); 11. Humphreys v. V. Lambert, C 5 7s lid (costs 8s i solicitor's fee 15s (id); K. S. Nutting v. I\ Earnham, JC!) (costs .CI 12sj. number of cases were ">et down, but were either adjourned, confessed, or settled out of court. The Moa Road Board (Mr. Thomson) proceeded against \Y. Herbert, traction engine driver, of New Plymouth, on two informations lor conducting heavy tratl'ic on the Egniont South Road on the liith ultimo, such heavy traffic being prohibited during August. Defendant drove his traction engine on the road in question. He pleaded guilty and was lined CI on each charge, with court costs 14s, solicitor's fee .CI Is, and witness's expenses 10$'.

Frequently we hear -comment by counsel upon tin; fact that the solicitor on one side in an uetiun has interviewed witnesses to be called on the other side. Yesterday .Mr. Jfcunne informed the jury during tiie eour?v of his address that the plaintiir was unfortunate in that his witnesses had not been all that they should be. I'llt, of course, the witnesses had been interviewed by Air. Spence, counsel on the other side. llis Honor took exception to the rellection sought to be cast upon the opposing counsel. He said there could be 110 objection to counsel on either side seeing any witness. The witnesses were witnesses of truth, and the truth belonged to (.Joel. No ones had any right to be any one's witness, but should be called to speak the truth. "Air Spence thanked his Honor for the direction, which he felt was needed iiu this district, where complaint* hiicli as Air. JJaume's were not infrequent.

"Were you not one of those who made a sort of a battle-cry or war-cry. perhaps a kind of political cry, of your intention to turn the schoolmaster out?" aslied Air. Baume, K.C., of a witness in the Supreme Court ycsterd.iy. The witness was slow in answering, and his Honor intervened, saying that there no more impropriety for a man to take up this stand as a candidate for a school committee election than for a man to stand for Parliament with the avowed intention of turning the (lovernment out. There was n quiet smile amongst those who wore aware that Mr. Baume has the right to write "AI.P." after his name. Mr. Baume, in the fervor of bin address to the jury, lei the Parliamentary cat out -of the bag, and continually referred to Air. Spence, counsel on the other side, as "the honorable gentleman." His attention was drawn to the fact, and he explained, "Your llomr j will quite understand how I have fallen I into the mistake," ■

I firemen in other centre-; would mil have put up Willi tin' inconvenience or catiniicd liv the proximity <if the crowd nt. Saturday's lire, liut would doiibtlcs* have taken tin* law into their ohm lian.l* liy pointing a full head of water in Ihe direction of tin' intruders. It's the only effective way. Unless tlwro happens In lie a whole swarm of polieeiiien the erowd i'ii ii lie kept hack liy no other menu-. Here the \vlio|e extent of the force comprises six men—a detective, inul four constables—nml every one of these nll'icrrs presentj at the lire, more or less actively engajjed in the protection of hooks and cash, and of till! general salvage, or "liariling the burned or Intrninfr premises from improper and .unauthorised intrusion. Only one was in uniform, and he \va-' tile eonstable on duty in the street at that hour; but in a comparatively small community like this each constable is sufficiently well known to be able to assert his authority without the official garments.

Mr. Baume was not kind to his "learned friend" 'during his address to tho jury yesterday morning. "My triend, you can see, is writhing in his seat. lie can't .sit still. Look at him/' as ilr. Spenee toss to object to the trend of tile remarks. Mr. Spenee. having at last "caught the judge's eye" said tliat Mr. 13a lime should remember that this was not a political debate, although lie was conducting it as though it were. He had quite forgotten that this was Court, and not Parliament. His Honor said that certainly Mr. Baumc was making it, as the little schoolboy said, "pretty hot" for Mr. Spenee, who, however, was taking it 'n a very good-tempered way. Mr. Baume eaid that he had made it "pretty hot," and he had intended to do *O, for Mr. Spenee had gone out of his way to introduce a lot of irrelevant .matter, aid had made several statements about his (.Mr. Baume's) client, and traversed past litigation, in such a way as hrwould not have da ml to do m a-nv other place. He had used the terms "base," "despicable," and expressed opinions 011 , subjects that b< l .knew absolutely nothing about, so Mr. Bpence must expect to get it "pretty hot/' For Influenza take Woods 5 Great Peppermint Cure. Never fails. Is and 2s 64. . • ; , ~ :

A fanner at Ilanmer Springs bad the imisfortune recently to lose a considerable sum of money under remarkaDi* circumstances. Hris the possessor of Jt horse, which includes paper, amongst other things, in JiSs dietary list. This j animal can easily be caught at any | time if lie is approached with a piece of paper, which he will devour on sight 1 ' The owner dropped a pocket-book at I his own gate, and on searching for it next morning he found that his hor»e had been there before him. The pocket' hook was chewed to an almost unrecognisable pulp, the only thing intact being the silver monogram plate. The horse iiad managed to extract the contents, not a vi'Ktige of which could be found, lliev included a cheque, a money-order, and several notes. The fanner may recover the value of the cheque and the money-order, but he looks upon the notes as a dead Iqhs.

\Mien his Honor yesterday afternoon ordered "('lose the doors" upo.n< taking his seat after lunch, the people in the body of the court doubtless thought he was merely endeavoring to prevent draughts. Then a few minutes later he roared. "Close tlie doors, and keep them shut; thoso who are in must stay in." Memories of a too talkative jury rew year- 1 ago were refreshed, and something sensational was looked for. The Clerk of the Court. Mr. .). Terrv, proceeded to empanel the jury for the alleged indecent assault case, and the reason for the closing of the doors ibecame apparent. Three jurymen were challenged by the defence, and when eleven had taken their seats the panel was exhausted. There had originally been a panel of thirty-eight.) Of these twelve ]nd been ilischarged from! further attendance upon the previous! evening. Twelve were in the jury-room I at the time, deliberating upon the Turk-. ington-Hall alleged slander action. Knurteen were t'hns left, and three of weiy challenged. His Honor then directed Mr. Terry, as sheriff, to select a juror from the bodv of the court, remarking that one of those who had conio to listen must remain to work. The sheriff called upon -Mr. S. D. Pope to render this service to his country, and he was accordingly sworn.