MOCK COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 July 1915, Page 6

MOCK COURT.

••.LlNsin.v iv XKW >!.VM«HT!I. A I'liOKlTAiiLt: lim i,-s AJICSKMKVT. It was in comic opcTU--in one of dil 1)1,11 s ■'""v 'hat 'ae were impressed v.:Mi the ncecsity ei die punishment being m.i.le iit, to meet the erime. liui there are times when this counsel does not go far enough. Uaude Jhmpior, the eoiiiclian with the Red Dandies, is a man of imagination, and yesterday, when it fell to his lot in Xew Plymouth to as- | sume tin- judicial robes, lie realised the 1 riarroivn.-.-s of dilherfs counsel, and has. I ed hh, ivWdom ami judgment rather on j a feeling that "no punishment could be yoo severe for ihe most trivial olfcnee I Vrovided the object of the lines was a j,»od one." And this is how it came | about (hat a popular comedian was called, ujioii to administer justice—perhaps the offenders thought it injustici—in the si reels of Vow Plymouth yesterday. So great a task is being' performed bv New Zealand'-, soldiers that it is lei't that those who remain ;\t home cmuo; do too much for these breve nun ami. with the idea of collecting fi.rthcr money i'"or wounded New Zoabiiidcr:. a sueges(ion was made that the Ucil Dandies ■jhoulil be asked to give a street per.'orniaiicc in New Plymouth. The meiuliers of the company responded wilnuglv to the suggestion, and it was decilc'd L'lat. the proceedings should take the f'iriu of a Mock Court. This, it was realised, would a .'lord illimitable scope t'ir providing much amusement and at the same time would oiler a means of ■so\"uring ~ ii-cfnl sum of money. Kveryl)»Uy heard of the proposal, and evorylwi':l-,' smiled in anticipation of the good fni) it .would produce, with the result tlia't when the Mock Court was estab-lish,.-1 in Devon Sereot yesterday afterneoj. the street was thronged with ail uiii;:\iially large crowd of people. They had |ei,me to enjoy themselves and a't the same time help a deserving cause, a id a Yvry pleasant hour and a half was spent "at Court."

The "session" was joyful from tin": outset. It wns a pleasant play on the formalities of a real Court to sec a staid, learned looking judge, followed by an equally impressive Prosecutor, two convincing policemen, and oilier Court oflici.i!-:, leaving the stage door of a I theatre in company with several fascinating nurses in the customary Ked Cross nnifonn! And if this was not sufliciont to nil) the:,, of'the Law's due they certainly lost their dignity when they proceeded to the Court in an express cart! The people laughed at this, and the" laughed the Court orderly powerless. Mr. Claude Dumpier was the .fudge, and he Have a clever impersonation of- the character, while Mr. Scott Colville, as the Prosecutor tilled his role with credit. Mr. Welby was the court orderly, and Mr. IS. O'Dowda the sergeant of'police. Before the proceedings commenced Mr. Scott Colvile briefly addressed the gathering, and appealed to those present to give as much as they could. The hoys at the front were doing a great deal for us, he .said, and we could not do too i much for them.

The Court then opened. Mr. R. J. Deare was the first prisoner, and lie answered to the charge of "placing an advertisement in the Tarnnaki Daily News and the Herald announcing the birth of a son and adding thereto the words 'Father excited.''' "This," said the prosecutor, "is a very serious oll'ence, and I believe the prisoner has done the same thing on previous occasions." "Have you more than one child'!" asked the judge. "Yes.'" - "That is a serious offence which cannot be allowed. You are fined 5s with the option of a tine of .€50." The prosecutor mentioned that' the prisoner had no change. "Mr.:!! 1 "- and the judge wore a. serious fiuv-"weli, he is iiilcd another 10s wit'll tU-,. opimn of .CIOII iW Wiiig no change." Mr. John Avery was then ushered on to the judicial platform. He was charged with selling a, quantity of tobacco of which the greater portion was found to be straw. "Take your hat oil'," reprimanded the judge. "You an- fined lis for not taking your hut off." Prisoner admitted the offence, and inanswer to the judge said lie got the straw from America. "That makes the oll'ence worse," said his Worship. "You are fined £5 without flic option." "The prisoner wants time in which to pay the tine." said the prosecutor. "Time, is it! Well, if levants lime he can have it. in gaol." Mr. AY. C. Weston was charged with inserting an advertisement in the Herald without charge. This, said the prosecutor, was a most serious offence, and one without parallel in the history of the press in New Zealand. Prior to this no newspaper proprietor had ever committed such u serious olfence as inserting nn advertisement free of cost. The prisoner pleaded guilty. "What have you got your hat off for?" asked the judge. "You are fined for eontempt of court in removing your ha'; in my presence, and for this serious charge, the sum of C.V" Mr. K. P. Websier amis arrested in the act of putting money into one of the ladies' collection boxes, and, protesting that he had just given his contribution, lie was carried into Court backwards. "What is this unseemly behavior'" asked the judge. "This man is fined £i for coming into court backwards. Mr. Webster was also charged: '-Thai. bjjjj"jii he was

I'mupnny, ulio Iniil worked strenuously, deserves I ho thanks of the public for Kg . 'I "'■ r -■--.» i ~..n,u.:.. e,,,,«vi,d at the en* I (l • ..•■iii!-!.-.u i- : a little over .080.