CASE OF A SOLICITOR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume L, Issue 175, 25 October 1917, Page 2

CASE OF A SOLICITOR.

(.Unitbd Pb.kß» AssoeiATiox.J ... ' Wj£t;i^ T G|fqiS", This Day. The Appeal Court to-day is hearing ah application to strike off the rolls, for alleged professional-mis-wlP4m Gascbyle solicitor, _. of in connection with dealings with Ketehoma,*;a' Maori. ;..;Mr .yon Haast, is. appearing., for the and Gray, K.C., and Mr "Myersfor-Beard v . ■* yThe grounds ..Of application are that Beard,' being Kef'ehoma's solicitor, and knowing hiin to have large transactions with.l' William Boyce. Chennells> who was formerly representative of the.-Public Trustee at Masterton, advised and • procured Kerehpma to give power of attorney to Chehnells, and be declared a.European, thus bringing Kerehoma underlthe influence of Chennells,,. and thjat':.by undue, .influence in .breach of and in fraud^. of Kerehoma's he procured transfers and sales of 'lands known as Mangahuia, Uhiroa, and Tablelands, in most cases to in embers of Beard's and Chenn ells' families ; that such sales were at a gross undervalue, as evidence • by the fact tihat.-Beard and Chennells "settled a subsequent; action, brought by Kerehoma against them by agreeing to pay £13,498 sterling damages, and costs and. relinquishing the claim to the Tablelands; that in conjunction with -Chehnells he procured acceptance by Kerehoma of, less than £IOOO out of a* total of £48,000, because of the 4moneyand' acceptance of mortgages for the balance of such mortgages in several instances being for a larger amount than the purchase money payable by the mortgagors; that Edgar Hallett, of Napier,.who was put forward as KereHqm.a'6 solicitor, was really p.cting for Beard, arid Chennells, and. Hallett was njrit 'instructed until arrangements had already been entered into; that although Beard knew the lessees of Kerehoma's lands wanted to renew the leases or purchase, he' subordinated Kerehoma's interests to those of himself and Ghennellsr"