A FOOL AND HIS MONEY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 136, 10 June 1891, Page 5

A FOOL AND HIS MONEY.

FURTHER DISCLOSURES,

The case of Rae v. Greenway, which is being tried at the Supreme Court before His Honor Mr Justice Conolly and a special jury of four, was continued yesterday afternoon till ben minutes to five, and seems likely to continue for some time. The claim is for £448 10s 6d on p.ns. Mary Cassidy's evidence (continued) : — On the Sunday before Christmas she accompanied Greenway to St. Helier s Bay, returning on the Monday night. On tbe Sunday he was properly sober, the only time she remembered him so, but when they came back on the Monday he was drunk again. Hitchens came down to St. Helier's, and the two got drunk. Hitchens got Greenway to write one or two p.ns., but they wero spoilt. Two were signed, each for £500, bub the signatures were too indistinct. Greenway said, "I'm too drunk ; I can't do it." His Honor said he did not look on these conversations as evidence. Mr Cooper stated that he wished to give general evidence that Greenway was nob in a fib state to transact business. Mr Cotter said if Mr Cooper brought forward the bane he wished to apply the antidote, and he wished to have admitted such expressions as showed Greenway's ability to understand what he was doing. Mr Cooper, he submitted, waa bringing forward much evidence that he might very properly have objected to. Cross-examined by Mr Cotter: Greenway when he was stopping at Julia Wilson's would get up in the middle of the night and go away and return at daylight in the morning. Sometimes he would remain in the house all day. At other times he would be away all day and return at night. Greenway used to send oub for drink. When they went for drives in the cab the drink was got in hotels they stopped at on the way. Bowden usually drove "Greenway to Miss Wilson's. Witness was no relative of Bowden's. She had made Bowden a present of a ring, partly because she had heard the rinc was no good. It was one of the rings given her by Greenway. Hitchens always tried to get Greenway away from Miss Wilson's. He used to bring drink to the house, and the two used to dance and sing about the place together. Witness made the charge on Greenway for stopping ab Miss Wilson' 3. Hitchens used to pay generally, very seldom Greenway. She used to go to Hitchens' after Greenway for what he owed her. Ifc nearly always occurred that Hitchens took the money from Greenway and paid witness. Very often Greenway would say, "I'm not going to pay you.'' Hitchens would say, "Pay the girl and have done wifch ifc." Greenway would nob say anything against Hitchens for taking the money and paying her. She never signed receipts for the money, that Hitchens had paid her six or seven times during the three months. Besides the £20, she received sums of £9, £10, £11, and £13. She used to tell Greenway that she had received these sums, but be took no notice. She did not think he understood her. He used to say, " Oh, don't bother me," and walk away, as if he didn't care. She believed he did understand her, but would not trouble. She had been promised £40 by Greenway the time thab she got the £20. Hitchens knew about this promise. Henry Walker, duly qualified medical practitioner, remembered attending Greenway professionally on the 27th November. Greenway came to witness' house at half-past four in the morning. He waa simply disgusting to see. He had evidently had a large amount of drink. He was not sober, and was confused in mind. He was also very bad physically. Witness prescribed and made up medicine for him. He was then decidedly unfit to transact business. Witness saw him again a little after 11 o'clock on the same morning in Bowden's hansom in Wellesley-street East. He was then_ very drunk and quite unfit to transact business. Witness did nob think that at any time during that day Greenway was fit to do any business. On the 12th December ab a quarter to six in the morning Greenway came to witness' house in so frightful a condition that witness would not admit him. Witness told him to come when he was sober. Witness had seen him afterwards, but not to speak to. Witness could see that he was always in a drunken, dissipated, dirty condition. Witness would not have liked to do business with him in thab condition. To Mr Cotter: When witness saw Greenway he would say, " How are you, doctor ?" His condition on the two occasions when he called on witness, would have affected his handwriting. It would be very shaky. Witness did not consider either of the signatures produced to be at all shaky. Ho should say Alfred was very shaky. Francis Hewson, civil engineer and surveyor, said he had known Greenway for a number of years. In January last witness saw him at the Union Bank with Rae and others. Greenway came over, tapped witness on the shoulder, and said, "Old man, I want you as a witness." Witness then went over, and Greenway put his hand on a number of notes he was crying to count. He got them mixed and tried again. Then ho appeared to give up the idea ot counting them and commenced shuffling them out towards Rae. Witness said he could not keep count of them if they were shuffled out in that way. He had given a portion of the notes to Rae and kept his left hand on the rest. Rae then counted over the notes he had received and said, "Now another," and as he said that Greenway passed them out. He appeared incapable nf knowing whab amount he had given from the confused way in which he counted. He then tried to push a sovereign into witness' hand, when some one said the manager wanted to see him. He went out to see one of the bank officials, and when he came back witness took the sovereign he had offered. He also' offered some sovereigns to the teller, but tbe latter refused them. Next he went to the official in the bank, and with his hand full of sovereigns offered to shake hands with him. Soon after, Rae, Greenway, and witness left together. Greenway while in the bank was not in a fit state fco transact business, because he was stupefied with drink. Ab the bank door they met Hitchens and wenb to the Royal Mail Hotel. Witness wanted to geb away, bub Greenway wished him to stay. In the hotel Greenway muttered some words which they appeared fco understand, and champagne was brought. Witness heard nothing of the loss of any money. Greenway was handing money to Bowden and some others, and he gave witness some sovereigns. Witness at first refused them, and Hitchens said, "He's throwing his money away you'd better take them." Wibness said, "H I take »*. ' lt wiU be to P ub U P for him He will want ib some day." Greentvav then handed wibness ten sovereigns. Witness asked Hitchens to take him home. Greenway appeared to know those around him, bub did nofc appear to understand minutely what was going on. To Mr Cotter: Witness had the ten sovereigns ab home. On the Bth and 9th December witness had other transactions winh Greenway. Witness asked for the loan of £20 onap.n. Greenway said he would lend it, bub that his band was shaky, and he could nob write a cheque. He said he would let witness have any amounb he wanted. He was then fully able to understand what he was talking aboub. On Thursday, the Hth, witness saw him again, and he was then better and lent the £20> to witnes. Witness gave a p.m, thougn Greenway did nob want it.

>• James Smith deposed that in December last he was assisting in his brother's bar at St. Helier's. When Greenway drove down on the Sunday with Miss Cassidy he was sober. Bowden and Hitchens came down on Monday, and three p.ns. were given— one tor £60 to his brother, one of £500 to Hitchens, and another of £500 to Bowden. Witness did not know whab became of them. Mr Cotter cross-examined the witness. George B. Martin, licensee, stated that Greenway frequented his hotel between the latter end of November and the end of December, and lodged there for ten days from the 28th November. _ He generally drank champagne, and in six weeks ran up a bill of £100 for drink, board and lodging, and £16 odd cash lent. Thomas Shaw, formerly porter ab the Victoria Hotel, remembered Greenway visiting the hotel occasionally from October to January. On general election day Greenway came to the hotel before six o'clock with Bowden, and then seemed half stupid from drink. Greenway had champagne. He remained till seven, and then Bowden and he went off. As a rule, Greenway seemed in the horrors or halfmad. He was not always able to take care of himself. The morning of the election witness had a glass of brandy from Greenway, bub did not help him to drink five bottles ot champagne.