ON THE WATCH TOWER.

Evening Star, Issue 14496, 22 February 1911, Page 2

ON THE WATCH TOWER.

[By Ariel.] Mr Solomon, K.C., appears to have excelled himself in Air Massey’s libel action against the ‘New Zealand Times.’ Both Ins cross-examination of witnesses and bis address to the jury were very clover. There was one point at which he lay open to humorous thrust from the other side, and, like a wise man, ho prepared for it. Mr Massey made the expected thrust; “ I have sympathised with Sir Joseph Ward ever since you had him on the rack for several hours some years ago in Dunedin. ’ —(Laughter.) It was a shrewd thrust, and would have embarrassed many a man. Mr Solomon, however, rejoined : “ I have been expecting that for the last twenty-four hours. Now that you’ve got it off your chest, let us proceed.” This was about as good a rejoinder as the case allowed. It implied that the point was a very obvious one, and that Air Alassey had treasured it as his top trump. This is the retort disparaging, and tends to take the point off the opponent’s weapon. ******* The New Zealand courts do not provide many good stories; at least there are very few printed. I remember one, however, in which an Irish witness scored off a, distinguished lawyer. It was a murder trial. Tho victim had been seen walking up a winding, wooded path. About a hundred vtvrds further on his dead body was found. Tim Murphy was cutting a drain. The victim had passed by and spoken to him, and Tim had seen him go up tho path and disappear among the trees. Counsel had elicited all this from Tim, and then said solemnly; “ So, Mr Alurphy, you were the last man that saw him alive?” “Oh, no, sorr,” was Tim’s unexpected reply. Tho lawyer straightened himself and looked wide-eyed at tho witness. The Judge looked up from his notes. The jury and tho crowd held their breath. They were about to hear fresh and unexpected evidence, which might clear up the mystery. Counsel broke the silence. "If you were not the last man that saw him alive, pray who was?” “The'man that killed him, sorr.” ******* Some stories of French courts, in which the dignity of the Judges is not quite so oppressive as in the English courts, arc being told. One very cold day the Judges gradually turned round to a stove at their back, so that at last they were all facing the same way as the barrister who was addressing them. This . gentleman, with the stolidity of Sam Weller, began a new paragraph thus: “ The Court, behind whom I nave the honor of pleading——” Tho Judges executed the right-about like an awkward squad of recruits. Another barrister was in the delicate position of finding that the whole Bench had fallen asleep. Ho paused for a moment, and then gave the table a tremendous thump, which woke everybody, and shouted y “Yesterday at this hour I was saying- ’ The Judges looked at one another as if to ask if they had really been asleep a whole day, and the spectators irreverently roared with laughter. It is related of the celebrated Curran that when he was pleading an important cause the Judge began fondling and patting his big Newtoundland dog. Curran stopped, and the Judge, looking up, said; “Go on, Air Curran.’ “I beg pardon," said tho wit, “but I thought your Lordship was in consultation.” In one of tho French stories an impatient Judge asked the pleader to be brief, as ho had alreadv made up his mind. Counsel pointed successively to himself, the Judge, and the prisoner, saying; “Mo right; you kind Judge; he innocent.” This was as condensed as the Irish railway inspectoral report- Air Finnigin was in the habit of sending very long and eloquent accounts of trifling matters. His last report had dealt at phenomenal length with the story of a derailed engine, and he had received a request to make his reports as short as possible. Next day another engine was derailed, and he sent in the following Ctesar-like despatch: “ Off agin, on agiii, gone agin.—Finnigin.” *******

The other day the cable told us that the stains found on tho coat of the man arrested for the murder of Mr Beron on ■Clapham Common had boon proved to bo human blood. Since then the following has arrived : At the Royal Institute of Public Health a demonstration of a serological test infallibly distinguished various mammalian bloods. The wrappings of an Egyption mummy also responded to the test. The method has been utilised in the Clapham murder case. • This is a very interesting item. Indeed, the statement about the mummy wrappings is simply amazing. But let mo expound. For a long time a German investigator has been injecting small quantities of human blood into rabbits. After many injections the rabbit produces a serum, which, when mixed with a solution of human blood, produces an obvious reaction. The solution of the dried stain on the coat sleeve would bo reacted upon as clearly as fresh blocd. The latest cable reports that the human essence is so persistent that even a solution taken from mummy wrappings reacts correctly. Tho only other blood that reacts like human blood is that of tho monkey—a fact of which Darwinians will probably take note. ******* The older tests for blood were chiefly microscopic, and depended on tho shape of the corpuscles of the blood. I believe this test weakened with the ago of tho stain. There wore supplementary tests by | chemicals and spectrum analysis, but on 1 the whole the experts were in many cases I unable to swear very positively, and an important branch of evidence in murder trials needed strengthening. This new test will enable the expert to swear positively that the blood, however old, is either human or that of an ane. Hitherto the defence has said that the* accused had killed a sheep, cut tho head off a fowl, or carried raw meat. This kind of defence will now be useless unless it is true. The accused will have to plead that he wounded or slow a monkey. That, in most cases, would be believed with difficulty, as monkeys are somewhat rare. Failing the monkey, tho evidence will bo that the blood is human. Thus gradually does science close the assassin round with a kind or omniscience. ******* Science may recognise the human essence with a cold infallibility that is uncanny. But tho bulk of mankind never learn that they are human, and that it is human to «rr. 'There has been a tremendous fall in the Waihi shares. Happily, I had none. The Bank of New Zealand and Hartley and Riley were enough for mo in the share line. But that’s a digression. The Auckland shareholders in the Waihi mine hold an indignation meeting to protest against the action of tho London directors who had kept it dark and sold out. One speaker happened to say that he supposed tho directors had done what they would all have done if they had had the’ chance. The remark was received with a storm of disapproval. Yet 1 question if there was cne person, present who would have resisted the temptation. Their grievance was that they had not been able to sell too, or that they had bought what they thought others were selling too cheaply. Men who have never been tempted do not know themselves, and are harsh in their judgments. Some who have been tempted, and have yielded too, still remain ignorant of their own human frailty. It is the sight of means to do ill deeds that makes ill deeds done. Let us be thankful that wo were not directors. * *' * * * * * Still, I hold it a mean and unworthy act for a man in a position of trust, like a director, to use the knowledge he receives as his trust for his own benefit and to tho detriment of tho shareholders who reposed confidence in him. But if it is ■ as mean as dirt, it is alto as common as dirt. It is a speciee of wrong bred like a maggot in the joint stock system. The bank troubles of years ago afforded shocking examples of it. So did the bursting of the Hartley and Riley boom. But though the losers stamped and swore, there was no public conscience in the matter. The winners were all honorable men. Like

1 tho gentleman who sold Martin Chuzzlewit' his comer lot in tho city of Eden, they I were “smart.” Tho truth is that shares, | like horses, are bought and sold in an atmosphere of therr own. Men who are I honorable in everything else are “ smart ” in these two lines. In politics, too, we , find an atmosphere—a sot of conditions apart from ordinary life. What would be a most outrageous libel if addressed to Air Massey as a private gentleman is no libel nt all when addressed to him simply as a politician. In that atmosphere everything , has its Pickwickian sense. Mr Massey, farmer, must not smart and wince at the strokes that are laid on Mr Massey, Leader of tho Opposition. All the same, if Mr Massey, politician, should happen to get damned for the freight of his waggon, 1 don’t quite see how Mr Massey, tarmei, can have a golden harp. Similarly, the director, if he gets damned simply ns a director, how is lie, in his capacity as an honorable citizen, going to put in his time? * * * Tho decease of a Rothschild who left thirty millions sterling will revive some stories of tho origin of that famous family. These stories will incidentally shed romo light on tho atmosphere and conscience ot stocks, shares, and the like. The founder of the house was a man of such noted probity that when the French revolutionarv invasion buret upon Germany one of the Grand Dukes, before making a hasty fiielifc, committed all his movable wealth to his care. Rothschild—his sign was a red shield (roth schield)—accepted the tract with reluctance, and tho Duke, knowing that it involved great danger, took no bond, and said he would not blame the Jew for even the loss of tho whole if he but did his best. The French had a keen scent for plunder, and soon paid the Hebrew a visit. They ransacked tho house, and dug m the garden, but they did not find the main trousuv©. The wily Israelite huthem find a plant of a few hundred dolJars in cilver, over which ho nuulo suoh. an outcry, and expended such entreaties that they knew they had got his all. After this tho Duke’s fortune was quietly removed to England and put into giltedged business. For eight or ten years of political earthquake and turmoil Rothschild was not called to account, but gold was breeding gold rapidly all the time. With the fall of Napoleon came inquiries, of uo very hopeful tone, from the Duke. “Was there anything left?” “Yes, all of it; and interest to boot.” Tho Duke was so overjoyed that ho would accept no interest, and even offered a handsome present. This Rothschild did not accept. He had made a large fortune out of tho trust. ■vr vr vf vv 'A- "*• The Waterloo scoop was his most famous stroke, anel tho story of it is various’}told. During tho great war British credit had slowly declined till Consols stood hut a little over’£6o per £IOO. They roso at tho first overthrow of Napoleon, but on his return from Elba fell again with a crash. Early information from tho seat of war was now of supreme importance to tho istock jobber. Rothschild kept a fast sailer at tho port nearest to tho scene of battle. When victory was .insured by the rout of Waterloo, his courier sped to his ship. At the post stations where horses were kept lie took the best for himself and hired all the rest to go here and there on fools’ errands, so that couriers following would find none. The swift sailer brought Rothschild news of tho victory thirty hours boforo it reached the Government and the public. He had a clear day on the stock exchange. Ho hung moodily about, and seemed depressed and inactive. Perhaps ho made some small sales. Anyway, ho was regarded as a kind of barometer, and he was a low glass that day. Stocks fell, and there were panic sales. His agents wore buying right and left, and in a day or two lie had cleared millions ny the sudden riie that followed tho news of the final overthrow of Napoleon.