MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18411, 18 May 1920, Page 7

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

: CHRISTCHURCH. ; Mt S. R. M’Carthy, S.M., presided afc yesterday’s sitting of the Magistrate’s Cpurt A first offender was fined ss, in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment for drunkenness. In each of the following cases judgment, with costs, was entered for the plaintiff by default :—F. D. Sargent vMary S. It. M’Arthur, £35 8s: Booth, Macdonald and Co. v. George Bennett, £35 ; Hafswell Quarries, ■ Ltd. v. J. Barron, £1 8s 6d; Harry Robinson r. J. Banfield, 18s 6dLegal argument was heard in the case M. Roberts (Mr Cuningham) v. I Harry Nicholas (Mr Thomas), claim.for J possession of a tenement- The dej ferula nt claimed that ho was a dis- ! charged soldier, having been eight ] months in camp, and as such was eni titled to the benefits of the Act, which ! secured a soldier in possession of Ms , house. The Magistrate upheld this contention and entered judgment for the defendant, with costs, j John Dusbur-- (Mr Buchanan) proceeded against Emily (Clarke (Mr Cuthbert) to recover £Go—the value of certain articles of personalty belonging to the plaintiff’s wife before her decease 1 and now in the possession of the defendant—and the further sum of £25 oy way of damages for their retention. The plaintiff was . the administrator , of the estate of his wife, Harriet Ada j Duxbury, and the defendant a boardinghouse keeper with whom the deS ceased, Harriet Duxbury, boarded prior jto her death. For tho defence it was Contended that the articles which formed the subject matter of the claim were a gift to the defendant. The hearing or the case had not concluded when the Court rose. LYTTELTON. Before Messrs Ferrier and F. Knights J.P.’s, R. M’Donald was charged with using obscene language, and was fined £2, in default seven days’ imprisonment.