AN OVER-WROUGHT BARRISTER.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 11968, 22 June 1907, Page 4

AN OVER -WROUGHT BARRISTER.

Wellington, June 21. i Justices Cooper and Button had to deal with an unusual matter in the i Supreme Court to-day. When Claude ; Paget was found guilty of murder a few weeks ago his counsel, after tbe . court adjourned, made some remarks to the jurymen about their verdict. Action was subsequently taken and i a rule nisi was obtained calling on Mr Wi .ford to justify his conduct. When counsel moved to-day to make the rule absolute, Mr Wilford, who i. appeared unrobed, said he wished to i repeat to tbeir Honours tho expres- [ sionsof regret be had already tender- » ed to the jurymen by letter." He was at the time highly overwrought, and . forgot himself. He was convinced that Paget did not know what he r had dono. Mr Justice Cooper said I it was important that juries should » not be interfered with in any way. ;• He had noticed that in the latter I stages of the Paget trial M r Wilford was in an extreme state of nervous i tension. If tbis condition had j not obtained this matter would not . have come before the Court. The ! Court therefore^considered it would : be sufficient if it ordered'Mr Wilford i to pay the costs of the proceedings r without inflicting further penalty ) on him.