HOLY HABERDASHER HANNAN

NZ Truth, Issue 510, 27 March 1915, Page 3

HOLY HABERDASHER HANNAN

THE LANDLORD AND THE LADY

SUES OLD AGE PENSIONER FOR A WEEK'S RENT

The Lady Counter-claims but Loses Both Cases

John Henry Hannan, Jay Pay, holy haberdasher, Victoria-street, holds the reputation of 'being the hardest, money-grabbing landlord m Auckland, and from what transpired at different periods throughout the year, It is hardly likely he will ever be ousted from the fame /he has won. Hannan Is the owner of much property, but it is safe to say that few houses have provided more worries to the police than his. It Is not by any means a rare occurrence ' for. prostitutes and other low characters to be found occupying Hannan's nouses, which m some instances are such that respectable persons- would not care to be found, dead m them. Hannan has also made himself prominent at Court more than once, with the result that Senior Magistrate C. C. Kettle prefers to have nothing to do with the cases which the HOLY HABERDASHER IS INTERESTED IN. , . Hannan was a visitor at the Court on Tuesday last when his case, was the first oh the list, but Mr. kettle would not hear it. so Hannan had to wait till Wednesday afternoon when Magistrate Cutten had time to spare. Hannan claimed from Mrs. A. Weils the sum of ,13/6 for one week's rent of a house In No. 4 Baker-street. As a body blow agalnßt this, Mrs. Wells cross-countered for £4 15/-, which she reckoned Hnnnan owed her for work dono to the houso at his request. Hannan sparred for himself, and Lawyer Black was In Mrs. Wells's corner. "Costs" Black admitted that Mrs. Wells owed Hannan 13/(5, so there was no argument over that trifle. Holy Hannan picked up paper and pen ;m*d began to make notes rapidly. At the request of Lawyer Black. Hannan's witnesses' were emptied out of the Court. Mrs. Wells said that on February last she took a house m Federal -street from Holy HannAn. The house was m a disgraceful state; thetyard . was filthy, water came through the roof, the closet was In pieces. She blew along to THK HOLY ONE AND COMPLAINED. Hannan said he had not a man to spare Just then and told Mrs. Wells to get a man for htm. She brought a. chap named Doherty along to Ilnnnan, who j gave him certain Instructions to do certain repairs. Mrs. Wells went to Hannan to get money to pay Doherty, but nho drew a blank. She .had as much chanco of getting money from the holy haberdasher as getting feathers from a frog. The account she put m was for £4 15./-, which was a fnlr price for the work done by Doherty. Ho was boarding with her. so she gave him Borne money of her own and Doherty .squared up the balance by board. "Costs" HJack /inked Mm Well.-? why iiho did not deduct It out of the rent? There woft.no chance. He was there before six o'clock In the morning for his rent. Mrs. Welln went on to say she had no show of getting ihr money out of Hannan, so kept last week's rent and sent In a counter-claim. Hannnn: Have you ever heard of a landlord having work done an .l allowing a tenant to pay for U7— l know you did. Did you Inspect Hie place before you took It?— No. there was a policeman thwptfU the time with you about you noliwttlnK out nome tenant.". Y^rT swear thnt?— Ve*. the woman wan ncrennilng out. I don't know who the people were, but 1 think THEY WEIUS NO GOOD. You say that on February lii you bad two pnnoß of rlhn* put In?— Ye*. Well, February 15 wnw a Sunday.™ I don't know about dales. You are an old age pensioner? — Ye«, »nd you'ro jealmjH. , Do you think I would lot nn old lady getting «n old hk" 1 penolon pay men lor work - I don't know whether you are In your own mind, but I know a lot about you. you did not pay much foe the house? *-18g 6d » -week for a house of ft sort J

In Federal -street! Now, isn't the whole bill a bogey? — - No, it is not. Further wordy warfare ensued about items m the claim sheet of iron, wood, windows, wall-papers, etc., but no one could make head or tail of the argument, except that half the entries of work done were credited to Sundays. Anyhow, later on Hannan got m a few deadly ones. . • ' Hannan : Didn't you- have 'a few drunks living m your house? — There are .three hotels close by; sometimes a man would have a few m him. Didn't you come to me and complain about drunken men? — The house was a bad house before I went into it. What did you say when my collector came for ,sast week's rent? Did you say anything to him about the accounts? — No, I am very sensitive and wanted to get out quietly. I have been well brought up. My. father WOULDN'T HAVE STABLED HIS HORSES m the house I was living m. When! you came up, Scotty, who was m the ! house, was very wild, and would have given y6u a black eye if I had not stopped him. ' You have lighting men about the house? — No, but Scotty would have glvon you a black eye. Magistrate Cutten: You two are wrangling away over, questions that have nothing whatever to do with the case. I think, instead of asking any more questions, Mr. Hannan, you should give your evidence. Hannan said he had a lot more questions, but took his Worship's hint and climbed 'Into the box. He said the whole of Mrs. Welis's story was Thomas Rot. Not a word was said about work done to the I house till Airs. Wells wa.s leaving the place. No authority had been given by Hannan to Mrs. Wells to have the work done. He gave her some sheet iron, and also paper, but any work that was done to the closet was done by Hannan's own men. Nothing would have been said at all only he demanded rent due to him which she was trying to boat him for. ! "Costs" Black: .She wa« an old f.cnnnt? — Yes. [ This book shr>w« that nhe had paid you over £100, yet you say she is try-' ing to beat you for a paltry 13s Cd. Didn't the Snnitnry Inspector order you to do something to the houso? — That was because a mad man m the house nearly burned the plnce down. I hnd to renovate it all thi'ough. On the evidence, HANNAN WA.S THK WINNER j nil the way. so Sioglstrafe (Juttcn intimated thnt he did not wish any more, und gave the decision — two straight wlnn for Hannan. The question of witnesses' expenses (hen loomed up. and "Truth's" roll:;--louh editor wns nearly knocked a twister when Ilnnnan said that ho did not claim because Mrp. Wells was not too well oft*. "In fnct, I don't care If sho doesn't pay the 13s 6d," j«nld Holy Hannnn. "but '.h^nr people, caunc such a lot of nnnoynnce,". and. shokltiß hnmls with Lawyer Klnck, Hnnnan left the court wearing n smile like the entrance to the strand Arcade.