THE ” BIGGER ” TOUCH

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10847, 12 March 1921, Page 11

THE ” BIGGER ” TOUCH

UNUSUAL INCIDENT IN SYDNEY COURT. A Crown witness in a charge of theft at the Sydney Quarter 'Sessions &urpri**d Mr .Justice Cohen and the court officials by refusing to give evidence against the accused. :■ . T i. The case was one in. which. Josepn Alfred. Roberts was charged with stealing a military discharge and a war bond, the property of Charles. Mansell, and the case for the Crown was that Mansell met the accused In Park etrect on February 17th, and' after some discussion, the two men went to everal places to cash the bond. Mansell finally handed the bond to the accused, who disappeared with it. It was Mansell who refused to give erw dence. _ ‘‘He is a digger, and so am I.” said he, in explanation of this refusal. Mr Justice Cohen warned him that 1« would be dealt with if he persisted in this attitude. The witness rejieated that he was not going to sire evidence against a diggerThe Judge then committed him to 24 hours’ imprisonment for contempt of court. Later Mansell was brought inti court again, and this sentence was tc duced. flic term fixed being till the rising of the court. His Honour said that one must admire Mansell for sticking to a ■oMlei who. like the witness himself, had been on active service: but he must remember that ho could not flout the law. and that it was his duty to give evidence. Roberts wa= remanded to come no for trial at a later date, under hi“ own recognisance: the jury being discharged ' withont returning a verdict. '