£30,000 DERBY DISPUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21405, 5 August 1931, Page 8

£30,000 DERBY DISPUTE

WAITING TO SERVE A WRIT

RAIN-SOAKED MAN COLLAPSES.

A waiter’s all-niglit vigil in the pouring rain to serve a writ on his old chiet, Mr Caspar Berther, head waiter at the Queen’s Hotel, Birmingham, who won £30,000 from a half-share in a ticket in the Calcutta Sweepstake on the Derby, ended dramatically when he collapsed while crouched in, a garage near Mr Berther’s home in the early hours Of the morning. ... . Mr Berther was presented with his half-share in the, ticket by Mr W. H. Marks, a customer of the grill room. The other waiters contended that this was a tip, and should, by the recognised custom, go into the common pool to he divided among all the waiters. Mr Justice Bennett, in granting the application, said that the notice must be served by noon on the following day. Then ensued a dramatic race against time. The writ was rushed from London to Birmingham, and Mr Harold Mayhew, the solicitor for the waiters instructed Mr Leslie Knight, the present head waiter of the Queen’s Hotel, who is one ot the men concerned in the dispute, to serve the writ on Mr Berther ' . ' ' , Mr Knight, armed with the writ, dashed to Mr Berther’s home. Mr Berther, however, was not at home. I will seme this writ on him if I have to wait al night,” declared Mr Knight.. The rain was by now coming down in a solid sheet, hut Mr Knight crept into a nearby garden, where he crouched uncomfortably in the shadow of a privet hedge For four hours he waited, soaked to tin. skin, determined to serve the writ before the expiration of the time limit. Then in the early hours of the morning, he Co MrKnight had to be driven home without serving the writ, but he paid another visit to Mr Berther’s house. This time he succeeded—within the specified timelimit.