IMPROPERLY HANGED

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 October 1930, Page 9

IMPROPERLY HANGED

QUAINT COMPENSATION CLAIM.

Odd cases figure in the “New Zealand Justices’ Quarterly,” where Mr. W'. H. Woodward, S.M., writes of some of the legal difficulties which arose in Samoa and the demand for common sense, as there was-frequently no legal precedent to folloxv. “Such a case was that of Bill Howdcn. known as Crooked Neck Bill,” Mr Woodward says. “In oue of the distant islands ‘Crooked Neck Bill’ hud been condemned to be hanged by th? Vigilance Committee. For some reason, either because tho drop was too short or Bill xvas too tough, the hanging failed to kill him, and he was cut down. Afterwards his neck was all awry. Ho came to me and said he wanted to claim compensation for being improperly hanged. He admitted that he had deserved hanging, but he objected to the fact that th? Vigilance Committee had not made a proper job of it. It xvas somewhat of a legal puzzle. Could a man who had deserved hanging, but had been improperly hanged, claim compensation from those who had justifiably hanged hijn, but had failed to do it properly? However, tho Government was too busy with’ other matters at the time, and Bill Howden’s puzzle xvas never solved. “Another queer case xvas that of Sassa, the albino. Sassa, unlike most of the natives, had hair approaching golden in colour. Such hair xvas much in demand to bo used in the making of head-dresses for tribal festivities. One day Sassa, as often happened, was sued for debt. Tho amount was quite small, but Sassa said he had no assets and could not pay, ‘Oh, yes, he has,’ protested tho creditor. ‘Look at his hair; it’s long and ready for cutting. He can sell it.’ ‘Oh, no,’ replied Sassa, ‘it’s mortgaged.’ “Tho man xvho held the mortgage on the hair then came forward to see that his claim xvas justly dealt with'. On going into the question, I found that the price of the hair would cover both debts, so, like Solomon of old, I ordered that it should be cut off and equally divided between the two creditors. This seemed satisfactory, but the two came back with Sassa and a pair of scissors. Neither would trust tho other, and they wanted me to cut tho hair off and, divide it. 1 dee"::.' I

on tho grounds that it xvas not part of my official function, but ;t was arra-ig-cd for the shearing to bo done :n the presence of the distrustful txv.e by a reliable policeman.”