A BOARDER'S RETURN.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13989, 26 August 1909, Page 6

A BOARDER'S RETURN.

IiAISES A LAW .SUIT. Four .years ago a young man ua hum I A\ . J'. Naughton lett a uoarumgiiouse in Auckland, conducted by Mrs !J. Grayden, to sock Jiis fortune in Melbourne. lie liad been comfortable in his lodgings, and had been on friendly terms with the landlady's son, also her daughter, who describes her attitude to him as that of a. sister. Being on such friendly terms with the landlady's family, Mr Naughton thought lie might as well leave .some of his property, which he did not wish to take, to Melbourne, in her house. He accordingly leit pictures, a box containing encyclopaedias, an overmantel, a ('hair, clothes, etc., the whole being valued at £'42 10s. He then sailed with Mrs Grayden's son and £450, £3OO of which his companion had won for him at the races a few days before they left New Zealand. 'ln Australia Naughton got into trouble, and was sentence! to a term of imprisonment. Meantime the landlady':- daughter got married, and when Naughton came back to New Zealand ami applied to her for th/ 1 return of the property lie was informed it was a matter lie woidd have to R"ttJ" with her mother. He engaged Mr Prendergast to assist him to negotiate with his former landlady, and she, on her part, engaged Mr Hanna. Counsel, however, failed to agree as to what storage, if any, was due to Mrs Grayden. and as' to other matters, and t-hev the aid of M'r C. C. Kettle, S.M. After satisfying himself that Naughton had not disposed of his right to the goods of his brother, doubt on which point had induced Mrs Grayden to retain the goods. the magistrate "iade an order that they be restored - to him.. A counter claim brought by Mrs Grayden against Naughton demanded more consideration. It ineluded charges of £lB 2s 6d for storage, jiiid ]os for removal of the, goods when Mrs Grayden changed her residence, claims for £lO alleged to have been sent- to assist in Nnnghton's defence. £3 3s interest, and 16s' cost of remitting other money to Naughton. The total of the counter-claim was £32 10s. Mr Prendergast suggested that Mrs

Gray den and her daughter had had full liberty to use Naughton's goods, and had, in fact, ornamented the walls with his pictures and overmantel, read liis encyclopaedias, aad sat in his chair. The landlady's daughter, however, raised the serious objection that the. encyclopaedias were too dry t) "tail, the mirror of the (ivvrnvntrl was toe high to look into, and the chair wnf not a bit comfortable, being, in tact. " a common thing covered with American leather." Rebutting evidence on the counter claim has yet to be given.—(Auckland "Herald.")