WIT OF “TIGER TIM”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 12140, 30 December 1933, Page 9

WIT OF “TIGER TIM”

' - MEMOIRS AND ANECDOTES, , “Tiger Tim” wag .the name applied to' the late Air. Timothy Healy, the 'first Governor-General of the Irish Frfco State. Why he, was given the name is made abundantly clear by Sir Dunbar 'Blanket- Barton’s book, “Timothy Mealy: Memoirs and Anecdotes ' . . . .

<Mi ono• ocearsion “whan Mr. Parnell was away from, ‘the House, .Jpsoph' ' Chamberlain twitted the Irish members with indulging' in extravagant antics in the. absence of tfioi.r leader. ‘When the cat’s away the mice play,’ said Chamberlain. 'Arid v.'hat about the rats?’ cried -Healy, who regarded Joseph Chamberlain and his party as ; deserters from the Irish cause.” .

.Even Sir William .Hafcoiirtj “a Cabinet 1 Minister who towered above his colleagues, by his huge stature and domineering personality,” was not safe ..from the impish' “Tim’.’ In an .".Irish debate, “Healy, who had to reply to liarcourt, 'began Ills -speech as follows: ‘Mr.' Speaker, the speech about Irelaind which we havcj just listened; to from the'Front Bench of the British House of Commons reminds me of Pope’s well-known couplet:— “.Where London's Column towpring to the skies like a tall bully'lifts'..its head —and lies.” ’ The House was convulsed in ' Imightcr, in which Har-

ooiii-fc himself could not refrain from

joining'.’’ • ,/ . In court Air. . Healy was irrepressible. A young forester was giving evidence for the plaintiff, in a Chancery action iu which’Mr. Healy appeared for the defendant: “Healy:* cross-examination was short and!'amusing. ‘How' old are you?’ asked Tim. ‘Only twenty-two',’ said the forester. 'And how long have you been a forester?’ ‘Only two years. «aid the witness. Tim sari; down, remarking to the judge. ‘A regain" babe in the wood, my lord.’ He once appeared for the defence in a breach of promise action brought !»v a woman of 75 against a man .who walls verginp;' on ' 95‘ Th order “to counterfo’t -juvenility the holy entered , tlje witness-nox clad in girlish costume, while her features were swnihod. in yards anil yards-of! jimaHn, which she wore as a veil attached to a very largo -picture hat; In her oxfi mination.-in-ehißf her sobbing voice could! be faintly ’heard from behind these gauzy clouds..' ; At - last Tim stood up to eross-examirio' her. ‘Mndam,’ said he, 'wilt you remove'the. yashmak?’ ‘T do not'understand you, sir,’ she said. “‘Will you djscoeoon yourself, madam P’ -said . he. The plaintiff’s case from that moment gradually died away in laughter.’ On one occasion when Air. Healy was arguing a ease before Baron Dowse, “the judge imcrnipied him with the question, ‘Do you., go to sleep with your books. Mr. Tlenlyr ‘No, my lord,’ replied Tim, ‘lor lliackstone declares that the law is a Jadv that love.th to lie alone.’

Lord Dowss was. a famous wit ol his time. When be was SolicitorGeneral for Ireland a serious accuser tion was made against him by another Parliamentary wifc named .Bernal Osborne. Finding- that he • ha<|. mado a mistake. Osborne “was driven. to admit himself to be in thp wrong. ‘t find, Air. Speaker,,’ he said, ‘that 1 must withdraw what I, said against the Irish Solicitor-Gen-eral..’ Dowse at once rose and said, ‘Mr. Speaker, as the right honourable gentleman lias ' found it necessary to withdraw ,what he has said against me f f have much pleasure in withdrawing what I was going to .say against - him.’ ’*• % When Richard Adams, a popular King’s Counsel, became County Judge of Limerick, in Ireland, he soon made iiis court a popular resort. Once, when Air. Ilealy appeared as. counsel before him. Judge •. Adams said: “ ‘The Court will, adjourn for hinf-li-oon.’ As the -judge rose he was observed to search his pockets for money, and to exhibit disappointment at finding none. Then he was heard' to address TTealy: ‘Mr. ITealy, could you. ho ,so kind n:s lo lend the Court a bob?’ ”

Air.• Healy' spoke almost without gestures, but lie was not beyond employing a melodramatic trick to drive, homo an argument. “On one occasion he was defending ah action for the pollution of : a 'stream. He was counsel for the, defendant, whose ease was that the stream, was' absolutely burn and. undefiled. In his speech Tim suddenly startled the Court by saying: ‘Thov sav: the. water is polluted. Mv lord, look a Fit. , There is o, samp l e,’ ITe then’ drew a bottle from his pocket, nimorked it, and drank it- nddinc. with great solempitv, ‘the first drink of walrr I have had for monv a year.’ ’’