17. Service of documents under this part of these rules shall be effected in the same manner as in criminal proceedings.
Where service in such manner is found imposible, the person who attempted to effect service shall report the facts on oath to the Court from which the document to be served was issued, and such Court may direct service to be effected in such other [*434] manner as it may think fit, or, in the ease of a summons or a notice to a person suspected of being mentally afflicted, it may, where the circumstances of the ease so warrant, order service to be dispensed with.