USSAR THE USURER.

NZ Truth, Issue 472, 4 July 1914, Page 4

USSAR THE USURER.

i Monish lender And The law. ■ • ■ : • ''■ '') jij ." ; ' ' : '" - '.' ' . ■ ■. ■ Magistrate Frazer Says The Deal , fcnd -the Cess "H© Says About It the .. . .■•" '.'. :;-V ; . : -_ ; .Better, .- v-;. v ■■.'.,. ;: v ,/.'-■..■.•. ■ ■ ■••■' ■■■ ,'.— ■'.-'■'- ■'■ Moneylenders, as a body, are never I *tiuite regarded ; as ■ philanthropists, as, , tho^b peisbns who jflndit accessary to"float a loan", knbifv. only lipo well. In> • all businesses , there are two, brands,' the honest and!: the crook, and i *«onA of these gentlemen m ■■' the Tnoriey4endlng line came to light m the Magistrate's Court on Friday, and, after Magistrate : Frdzer's remarks, the gentleman lii question is not likely to ;*^lo an extensive business; m future. 1 ■ , In His , Majeßty'a Arcade, . PerciVal .'•'" Stanley Ussher^ ■ i ' : ; ' : - ;:■• '" ; ,"' ■ 'ijfL MCENSEE> >aiONEY-IJENDER (or 'grabber) carirtes c»ii buslness» ; and ; he appeared befdfo Magistrate Frazer ": . to explain why he had committed, a | ;| breach of itho : Mo^ey-flenders', Act ;in j >jaot supplying to .^borrower a; copy of j *&, promissory note on application when : <a. reasonable feo had been tendered. , The information laid by Mrs. D!, fTaylor, and she brought along Lawyer i Gould to help explain matters. Ussher had Lawyer Holmden m his corner. The evidence was hard to follow, and, ;'! ?a£ times, both Magristrate arid "Costs" 1 puzzled, but "Truth" gleaned : enough to point put a scandalous : transaction. j i William. John Mclntosh, brother of 4 i ■'informant, said that In October, 1910, hlfl sister was going: to tfca.rl a board- .' ing house, but was sby of about thirty j quid, .They dlscusaed the matter, and ! 'n)yentaally ' witness, who held ' a life ! i policy, -went /b? .^ssheri whom he knew i "-— or thought hie know — and borrowed ■ [£?5, tha^cheque being handed to Mrs. ; ■ ZTaylor. No demands were made !■ upon witness for any payments, but shortly after the loan wits, made, UssherTang witness up and told -him to tell his sister that the interest was <lue on a certain date. Upsher thor^ oughly understood that the loan was for Mrs. Taylor, then Miss Mclntosh.. John 'Mclntosh (the father) said he was authorised to mako payments, and ho thought that every time ho went ho saw Ussher,' who ' reminded him that Mrs. Taylor was not paying the interest quick enough. The payments amounted ix> £71 ; 4s. : Mr. Frazer: On a loan of £35? — Yes. Daisy Taylor, a smart looking woman, said that before she was married she, togetherwith her brother, wont to Usshcr for the loan of £60 on her brother's policy. She was not quite clear about what exactly happened In, the transaction, but thought that SHE SIGNED A PROMISSORY '. • ; NOTE for £39 12s, but sho only received a ch«que for £ .36. They first asked for a loan of £50, but this was reduced to £35 when, at tho tfmo the loan was being discussed m ussher's ofllcc, her brother gave Ussher a chequo of a Mrs. /Shehan's The cheque was paid by Ussher to witness, and he thoroughly undorstood tno loan was for her und she wua tho borrowor, and he repeatedly mado demands upon her for payments. All tho receipts for : payments made were mudo out to Miss ' Molntosh (witness). So mo time ago witness came to the conclusion that tho money had boon paid, and spoke to ■ .Usshcr through tho 'phono on Juno 4, saying she would like a copy of tho promissory note. Ho replied that ho required a fee of . 10s 6d bcfoifc he •would supply a copy] Mr. Frazor: ' VypU,|it'a a scandalous and blackguardly thing to do. To charge 10s 6d for a «opy of a promissory note. Tho sooner a man llko that gets struck oft the roll tho better. Mrs. Taylor wont on to say that sho went to Usshcr's bflleo ono day at two o'clock, but ho absolutely rofuscd to give a copy of tho promissory note. 'Sho then went to Lawyer Gould, and. with Mrs. Mclntoah, tho three called upon Usßher. j l . MR. GOULD WARNED USSHER. who refused to supply a copy of tho note, and they went away, tho lawyer having tendered ono shilling as reason»l)Io paytnent for making tho copy. Lawyer Gould said that ho got hold of the noto, but only during tho luncheon hou* on Friday, ft fow minutes bo•w foro tho ca*o camo on. It was mado to tho brother, but Miss Mclntosh hud indorsed It on tho back. Mlsa McIntooh, or. Mrs. Taylor, vrna qulto ccrtxuln sho had cashed Iho cheque, which was given to her by Usshor. At this point. Magistrate Frazer and •rawycr Gould tried to reckon out why tJio cheque for £15 .had- boon paid 'to' ilsshor. It aa rs - Tay'or «aJd, sh Q only rcVclvod Ufisher's choquo for £3s, and trot for £50. cr lnucb ha «* thinking and "pcrhapalng," tho matter Holmden said tho defooco

was that Mclntoah, whose name was on the promissory note, was recognised by Ussher as the borrower. No cheque '■ was given for £36, ami Mclntosh asked for the loan of £ 50. Demands, it would ' be admitted, were made upon' Taylor for payments, and the., reason Ussher wanted 10s 6d for mak- ! ing a 1 copy was.because , he thought that fee would be charged by a solicitor. . -'. Mr. .Frazer: Now, don't try and tell; me that; A money-lender is not such, a fool as that! Perclval S. Ussher, tho moneylender, said the money was advanced. to Mr. Mclntosh, at his request, and, the witness then went on to make a lot of statements which could not be followed and made into sense, but* which drew forth the remark from the Magistrate, "Urn, ' . THE WHOLE THING IS FISHY." Ussher then said something . "about what Mr. Gould said he was going to ! do to me, your' Worship," but whatever ilt was, "Truth's" rep. could not, gather. '.■ : ..- ■•'■ ■: ■ '■■:. ' ' .■ ' ', ' t Usßher's evidence ran something like this:— "Oh, yes, it was this »way— l can't think of— let me see— oh, I remember. Mr. Gould was talking about what he would do and I— that'B right;, isn't it. Miss Mclntosh." Lawyer Gould: You say there was no cheque for £36?— No. ' | Well, is this the position:. You wer&v asked to advance £50 and then handed a cheque for £15 arid asked to reduce the loan by £ 14, That would make your cheque £36? If that Is what happened, where is the £ i chanse? Mrs. Taylor says she did not get it? Magistrate Frazer: A mistake In the change, perhaps, or procuration feei or something, else. ' ' ' ';■ . liawyer Gould: Did you ring up and tell Mrs,. Taylor there was a balance of £12?— No. ' Magistrate Frazer: Why did you aßk 10s Cd for making a copy of the promissory note?— l thought it would be necessary, to have a »oHcltor to make' the copy. *.:; ■ > Mr. Frazer: What rot! Now, what did you want 10s 6d for?— Well, x l wouldn't have, taken the money, Mr. Frazer:' GET OUT OF THE BOX. go on', get out. Convicted and fined £10 and costs. I hold that Miss Mclntosh was tho borrower and received the money. The less 1 say about it I tho better. II you want to appeal you may. •..'■;" ■'; r- ■'■■'"■'-: : ■■■ Costs amounted to £ 2 13s.