The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-07-19
UNIQUE COURT EXHIBIT
MADE IN EJEeTMEKI CASE
Amusing incident Before Judge Gear
Which Struck Everyhody comseaI.
Iy and DISTURBED judicial Dignity.

An unparalleled scene occurred il
Judge Gears court yesterday after
noon Il was also amusing. very. Al
several stages OF the entire inciden
bursts OF laughter came from the Jun
box. which created q titivating echs
from the tables about which sat tn.
lawyers and the clerical officers. Tn:
big fat baiiiH guffawed al every round
al By himself Prince David and Johr
Colourn even relaxed their expression
OF stern anxiety over the lands and
hereditaments ar Koolau which they
are striving 10 maintain are wrong
fully held by the Kaneohe Ranch Co
Yea, even they laughed eonsumeJiy
Best Of all The Court Itself-gener-
ally supposed TO be always poised on
the wing for swooping down upon the
author OF any the least breach OF de-
eorum In Its Presence-actually sway.
ed under commissions of irrepressible
mirth- At the final stage of the fun
provoking proceedings. Judge Gear
broke down with the emotions having
their seat in the risibles and with joy.
Gus weeping uttered an order that be-
came necessary prior to adjournment
for the day.
II all fell on this wise: Mr.. Nc
Clanahan for the plaintiff moved that
all of the Royal Patent Records be
produced from the Land Office. The
object was TO prove that only one Ro-
val Patent was ever issued for certain
lands to one Opumomona. II opposite
counsel would but admit that the fact
was as claimed. there would be no
need of filing the formidable library
In question as an exhibit.
Mr.. Silliman objected strenuouslv tn
the motion, as being unreasonable nm
usual. unprecedented and everything
else gong TO make up the impossible.
Inc Court. however, over-ruled the
objection and Mr.. McClanahan was in
exorable- SEQ. Rosa, a clerk in the
once OF the Commissioner of Lands.
under subpoena was directed to pro-
duee the records. recess was TAX
en-, shortly before FIVE O'Clock. to en-
able the witness to carry ont the trans
portatlon part of the order. This is
the stage when the merriment began.
AS armload after armload of vol
umes was brought in and deposited
upon strongly built settee. the court
room and corridors resounded again
with laughter. This was during re-
cess. When the Court had resumed
us sitting. there were piled up about
seventy volumes of bound records
ranging from the index handbooks to
ponderous tones of ledger size. Some
were battered and frayed from thou
sands OF searching hands. others still
preserved nearly the gaiety they pos
sessed on leaving the bindery. The
tout ensemble of ancient and modern
specimens of the book-binder's art
was such as would glue the exhibit tn
the ravished eyes of bibliomaniac.
Mr.. Silllman again raised objections
when counsel for plaintiff. formally
directing the Courts attention to the
results of the rape of the Land Office.
moved that the mountain of document
airy evidence be filed in the case As
the defendants attorney glanced rue
fully over his shoulder at the leather
ed pile. asking how in all reason he
should be compelled to go through the
documents en- masse instead of hay-
| ing the indexes accepted as sufficient
evidence, the mirth broke out anew.
The Court overruled the objection and
1t being O'Clock there was a general
desire to postpone the research into
the records for the day.
After the witness had testified as to
the nature of the books, Mr.. Silliman
not cross examining him. in answer to
the Court he stated that the records
were kept in freproof vault. Judge
Gear thought that. in view of what
might happen" the witness should be
| allowed to replace the volumes in
their usual repository over night The
sympathetic looks given the witness
| and his aspect of despair anew struck
everybody comically. 1t was at this
iuncture that the Judge himself gave
way. his touching exhibition affecting
all beholders botn audibly and visibly.
An acute stage was reached when
| the Court suggested that each juror
might kindly pack one or two of the
volumes downstairs. and the situation
was intensified when Juror Mclean
respectfully offered the amendment
that the lawyers ought TO be made
to bear hand"
Immediately the bailiff proclaimed
the adjournment a scene ensued like
that which would happen at fire in
a public library. The jurors. attos-
neys. litigants and court officials all
went at that heap of Royal Patents
and il disappeared quicker than would
handful of grain before thousand
ants. Nobody had 10 go back for an
other load after that procession reach
ed its destination
In recent admiralty case there
was an exhibit of a battered spar with
pieces of riven tackle made. but it
was left outdoors for the jury TO in
spect But this land case exhibit OF q
whole library of records, deposited in
the court room. surely stands unique.
| II is indeed a record exhibit