REMARKABLE INSURANCE CLAIM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7650, 29 May 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

REMARKABLE INSURANCE CLAIM.

Thk heciing of the action " Dcnuan v. The Scottish Widows' Fund anil Life Assurance Society" was resumed ou April S, in the Queen's liench Division, before Mr. Justice Hawkins and a special jury, this being the sixth day of the trial. It is an action brought by Mr. John Eustace Denuan, a surgeonrlontist practising at Kensington, to recover £1.000 on a policy of assurance elicctcd by hint on tho life of Mrs. Ada Eleanor I! alienden, the widow of a surgeon. The plaintiff's case was that he bad advanced £.')000 to Mrs. JI.-.ii'oiHicu in order to increase her annuity to £•209 ; while the defence was that the plaintiff had no iusurable interest in Mrs. HuO'endon's life, and further that tho policy had been obtained by false and fraudulent statements. —Mr. Murphy, Q.C., and Mr. Vaughan Williams wen; counsel for the plaintiff ; Sir R. Webstar, Q.C., Mr. Charles Hall, Q.C., and Mr. Manuel Jones were for the defence.— After several witnesses had bee . examined with a view of further showing the habit 3 and physicial ailments of tho deceased lady, a juror interposed by saying that they were hearing tliu same evidence over and over again, whilst there was no evidence of the quantity of spirits taken. Were there no tradesmen's bills V One person might think that two glasses of whisky would bo nothing, whilst another might think that such a quantity might bo fatal. (Laughter.)— Mr. Justico Hawkins advised the jury to hear all the evidence upon this part of tho case, because they never could know what might bo said upon tho other side as to witnesses not having been called. Ro doubt what was temperance in one might be intemperance in another, and he recollected one case in which a medical man spoke of 60 glasses of grog taken in a day as not being intemperance. (Laughter.)— Sir Richard Webater said that ho would take upon himself the responsibility of not calling any more evidence upon this part of the case, and he proceeded to address the jury, in summing up the case, for the defendants. —Mr. Murphy replied upon the whole case ; and upon the conclusion, of his speech case was adjourned,