DUNEDIiS ;g.M. COURT. - -Thursday, October 8.

Otago Witness, Issue 2848, 14 October 1908, Page 23

DUNEDIiS ;g.M. COURT. - -Thursday, October 8.

(Before Mr H. T. Widdowson, -S.M.) Claim for Chattels. — Louisa Christina Hall (Mr Adams) proceeded against h«r husband Elzeard HaU (Mr Baron) for the poeeeseion of certain" household chattels d? the value oi £87 3b 6d.— Mr Adame saidl that the plaintiff had been compelled to leave her husband and earn her own livingi owing to certain practices. Some of th« chattels in dispute had been given to her; and -others ehe had bought. Mr Adams! submitted receipts, practically proving a prime facie case for plaintiff in regard to a. piano and a .sewing machine. — Plaintiff! gave evidence as to paying all the instalments on the piano out of her own, earn-j ings. Several times her husband had taken/ the instalments from her daughter and hadl paid it himself. She had also paid for or received by way of gift a number of household articles, none of which her husband' I bad paid for. She had asked him for them, | and he refused to give them to her, or, in- | deed, to let her into the house. — Gra.ce Hall j (daughter of plaintiff) corroborated plaintiff's evidence. — Christina Hansen (plaini tiff's mother) gave evidence as to defendant turning plaintiff and her daughter out and as to the ownership . of the various goods.— Georg* Clarke (brother of plain,' tiff) also gave evidence. — Mr Barron satdtba case disclosed a miserable state o3| affairs. Defendant would prove that at one time, when he was absent, plaintiff sold- up his home atjd went to Wellington?' onl he had to pay her Ease back. As rei ftarded the chattels at present in quesfionf ~ defendant would swear that be paid y ! good .deal of the. ins^aknente on the furn - tare- and- effects. He used to give plaintiff the' whole 'of his wages. — Elzeard Joseph! Bacon Hall gave evidence in support o^ this statement. He was contemplating^ divorce proceedinga.— Kate M'Beth (Londonfj Piano and Organ Company) said that thati firm was the bailor of the piano and sewing^, machine. As far as witness knew no on« except defendant had ever paid anything; off the account.— Mr Adams 6«id that a« regarded the last witness defendant hadf paid for the piano for his wife, a gift mighjtf be presumed. From the fads it was eva* dent that tho goods were the propertjf of plaintiff, who was, ho submitted, en* titled to the order. — His Worship g»vw! judgment for plaintiff for possession** of all the goods within 24- hours.) with the exception of a watch, which sheW had presented to her husband, with costs/ (£7 s#). _