A LADY'S LOST JEWELS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11872, 25 January 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

A LADY'S LOST JEWELS.

HOTEL-KEEPERS HELD LIABLE FOR A ROBBERY.

The Gordon Hot-els, Limited, were cast in damages to the extent of £951 lis 4d in the King's Bench Division on November 27, because of the loss of a visitor's jewellery from a room in the Hotel Metropole, Northumberland Avenue. ,

Mr. and Mrs. Duncan were the plaintiffs. The evidence was to the effect that Mrs. Duncan arrived at the Hotel Metropole from Cardifit in November of last "year. Her locked trunk, which contained*jewellery to the value of nearly £1000, she left in her bedroom at the' hotel. On leaving the bedroom she locked the door and deposited the doorkey with the bureau clerk downstairs.

When Mrs. Duncan returned to the hotel from shopping she asked for the key of her bedroom at the bureau. The key could not ba found, and the door was opened by a chambermaid with a master-key.

Mrs. Duncan noticed a clasp-knife open on the dressing-table of her room, and her suspicions were aroused. She examined her trunk, and found that it had been forced open, and that all the jewellery had been abstracted. The jewels had never been recovered. j

The claim for damages against the hotel proprietors was on the grounds that they had been guilty of negligence through their servants having given up tho key of the bedroom to the wrong person. This key was found some days later in a lavatory at the Charing Cross "Station, and was returned to the manager of the hotel.

For the defence it was advanced that under the Innkeepers Act the liability was limited to £30, if, according to the notices exhibited, guests did not lodge valuable goods with the landlord for safe custody, and if there was no dofailit tir negligence on tho part of his servant and himself. Mrs. Duncan said she sa,w the notice in the bedroom, but did not observe one in the hall.

The jury held that there was default on the part of tho defendants' servants, and that Mrs. Duncan had exercised ordinary and reasonable care, A verdict was entered for tho plaintiffs for the amount mentioned, with costs.