SUPREME COURT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 21 September 1925, Page 5

SUPREME COURT.

SESSION AT GREYMOUTH

(by telegraph—PßESS association. 1 GREYMOUTH, Sem 20. At the Supreme Court, william James Morris was acquitted on charges - of fraudulent representation and false pretences in connection with- the insurance on a building destroyed by fire at Burke’s Creek, Reefton. John McLean was sentenced to two years’ hard labour in a charge of car- .• nally knowing a girl of ,14 at Reefton last February. Mr Justice Reed said that, although not as bad as. some cases, accused’s crime was had enough. He was a married man who deserted his wife and children in Auckland and 1 enticed the young girl- from her home. • seduced her and then. made a proposal of marriage to her. This sort of thing must be put down, and he intended to punish offenders severely. Joseph Pfahlert claimed £542 from John Sweeney for an alleged breach of agreement in connection with the purchase of the Royal Hotel, Okarito, by the claimant from the defendant, the sale having been orevented by a mortgage of £7OO hel3 by the former - pro-' prietress, Mrs McCluggage, who refused to allow'the sale to he effected. The defence was that the plaintiff.was told of the mortgage prior -to " the agreement, and the plaintiff undertook to ■ liquidate the mortgage. Plaintiff alleged that he knew nothing of the mortgage till the day he was to take over. The case is unfinished.