COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 18 August 1934, Page 6

COURT NEWS

FALSE DEATH NOTICE. A UCK LA ND, August 17. It 'is an offence punishable by line cr imprisonment, to insert a false death notice in a newspaper. This was made dear by Magistrate McKean, to-day, to a young man who inserted his own death notice. The police said the noticp was published -in a- yewspaper and defendant’s father complained to the police*, who eventually obtained an admission from the defendant that he was responsible. (’ounMel said the young man had been studying hard and suffering mental stress His young lady had transferred her affections to another and it- was possible with a vague notion of .stirring her sympathy that he foolishly caused the no'tice of his death to be published. The Magistrate, after drawing attention to the substantial penalty involved, said that defendant was old enough to know 'there were plenty of other girls 'in the world If it had been somebody’ ebie’s death notice that defendant had published, he (the Magistrate) would have taken a more serious view. He supposed the defendant imagined the action would cause some disftresM to the lady in the Counsel: I don’t flunk he succeeded. She went to a. ball the night the notice appeared. The Magistrate, after admonishing the defendant, adjourned the case for six month.'?. WELLINGTON, August 16. Six Chinese and four Europeans were arrested when raids were, carried out on five houses in Taranaki Street. A quantity of pakapoo paraphernalia was found. The men appeared at the Magistrate’s Court, fom* on charges of keeping common gaming houses, and six on charges of being found in common gaming house* Fines totaling £lBO were imposed , on bhe four Chi’nese changed with using premises as common gaming houses. One Way was fined £6O, and each of the others £4O. Five men on the premises without lawful excuse, were each fined 10s. AUCKLAND. August 16. Legal questions regarding the disposal of a greater part of a very large Auckland estate were brought before Mr Justice Herdman, in the Supreme Court. The amount involved is ap- , proximately £76,000, and the essence of the question at issue is whether thia is to become a charitable trust, or is to he divided among the next of kin. The estate is that built up by the

late Captain James Smith, of Auckland, who had large interests in shipping and coal mining companies. His widow, Catherine Smith, who died on August 12. 1933, left an estate valued at approxiamtely £126,000. Of this about £28,000 was left as legacies to relatives and certain charities, and the residue ''was left to the trustee of the New Zealand Insurance Co., to be disposed of in such charities as the trustee might think fit. The next of kin held that the clause providing for this did not create a charitable trust and was therefore void. The trustee brought an action to test the validity of the claim. Legal argument has not finished.