DIFFICULTY WITH WITNESS

Taranaki Daily News, 14 November 1930, Page 10

DIFFICULTY WITH WITNESS

DEFENDANT, PLAINTIFF'S WITNESS. INCIDENT IN HAWERA COURT. The difficulties of a solicitor calling as a witness the principal on the other side of the case were illustrated in the Hawera Magistrate's Court yesterday. Edgar Willis was proceeding against Nelson Gane and Mr. L. -A. Taylor appearing for Willis, called Gane. Mr. Tailor: first , encountered trouble when he asked: “Do you own two farms ?”

Witness: Not exactly; they have mortgages on them, but I run two farms. Later Mr. Taylor- was pressing for an answer to a question when Mr. P. O’Dea, solicitor for the ’defendant witness, objected to his method of treating his own witness as though he were hostile. , . Mr. Taylor: What am I to do? Am I to conduct this case according to the rules of evidence? ■ Mr. J. H. Salmon,' S.M.: Yes, Mr. Taylor, but you must- remember that I am the judge of those rules. “Did vou ever pay plaintiff in kind?” asked Mr. Taylor.

Witness: No. Witness then stated that occasionally plaintiff would buy clothes at the Riverdale factory store, charging them to defendant, who made Reductions from the wages. • Mr. Taylor: But you just said The magistrate: I don’t think witness appreciated the meaning of the word, kind. Mr. Taylor asked defendant if he had received a letter from plaintiff’s mother, the answer being in the affirmative. Mr. Taylor: Did you read it? Witness: I read a bit of it and then burnt it. / Mr. Taylor; And the letter I sent you; didn’t you read that right through ? /• Witness: Yes, I read it and burnt it too. . ■ Mr. Taylor: Are you in the habit of burning solicitors’ letters? Witness: It was a ridiculous letter. Mr. Taylor: If I were cross-examining I woujd have more to say about that. The magistrate: Aren’t you cross-exj amining, Mr. Taylor? . / Mr. O’Dea again objected to Mr. Taylor’s method of handling his own witness. ’ U ■. . Mr. Salmon remarked that a certain amount of latitude had to be allowed in such cases.’ After all it 'was to the advantage of the defence that defendant had been called by the plaintiff. Mr. O’Dea: I realise that. Following this the examination proceeded smoothly. ' —. GATHERING AT HAWERA. FOURTH “BIRTHDAY” OF W.D.F.U. The fourth -birthday of the Hawera branch of the Women's Division of the Farmers’ Union was celebrated at the ■lslington rooms yesterday. There was an. atendance of over 50, seated at tables on which afternoon tea was served. Mrs. W. E. Carter, president, was in the chair, and associated with her were representatives of several other branches. Apologies were received from the prsidents of, the Opunake, Stratford, Toko and St. John’s (Wanganui) branches. Mrs. Carter extended a welcome to those present, particularly those who had,come long distances. From small beginnings the movement had grown until at the present time there were over 7000 members of the division throughout the Dominion, said Mrs. Carter. She had been one of the first 17 women to inaugurate the movement, which was a. credit to those who had pioneered it. They had taken up the work because they considered it necessary. Every country woman was welcome as a member of the division and she hoped they would all join without being asked. Congratulations to the Hawera branch were expressed on belialf of other branches bv Mesdames J. Cocker (Elthaffi), H. r Benton (Auroa), M. Burke (Awatuna), B. Sutherland (Manaia) and D. M. Cameron ((Okaiawa). A birthday cake made and donated by Mrs. A. Death was much appreciated. Items were contributed by Miss R. Mills, Mrs. T. Moss (songs), Mrs. H. Benton (recitations) and Mrs. E. J. Betts (piano .solos). .Miss Dix and Miss Mills played the accompaniments. METHODIST CONVERSAZIONE PLEASANT EVENING-”AT HAWERA The conversazione in connection with the Methodist Church Taranaki-Wanga-nui District Synod was held in Wesley Hall, Hawera, on Wednesday evening, the Rev. E. S. Emmitt presiding over a very large attendance of representatives and townspeople. The hall was decorated for the occasion with spring flowers and greenery. The Mayor, Mr. E. A. Pacey, after being introduced by the chairman, welcomed the Synod representatives to Hawera. The Rev. C. Eaton, chairman of the district, replied on behalf of the visitors. ' An address entitled '‘Holding Up the ■Prophets’ hands” was given by the Rev. T. Skuse, Stratford, and was greatly appreciated. Musical items, songs and choral and elocutionary numbers were given during the evening. OPERA HOUSE, HAWERA. “TEMPLE TOWER” FINALLY. Few persons would care to encounter in a dark street a man who had wrestled against Frank Gotch, Farmer Burns, George Hackensmhmidt and Strangler Lewis, especially when that man wcigiie 245 pounds and stands four inches over six feet. His size and the qualities that made him amateur heavyweight wrestling champion of the United States, however, were the qualities that won Ivan Linow success as a screen ‘‘heavy.” A native of Russia, Linow held the amateur -titles of both countries before turning professional. Subsequently he established himself as an excessively menacing menace in such pictures as “Gappy Ricks,” “Enemies of Women,” “Fury,” “The Noose,” “Me, Gangster,” “Black Magic,’ “The Red Dance” and “The River.” In “Temple Tower,” the new Fox Movietone melodrama which shows to-night for the last time at the Opera -House, Hawera, Linow plays the role of a giant “apache,” the Parisian and not the Indian variety, where his size and strength are frequently called into play.