A Very Peculiar Action.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5840, 1 February 1887, Page 3

A Very Peculiar Action.

[By Telegraph.] [Special to the " Star."] A SCHOOLMASTER'S MONEYLENDING. WANGANUI. Feb. 1. Two parties whoße names have recently been a good deal before the public, viz., Charles Cooke, a lawyer, against whom the Law Society moved lately at Wellington, and R. J. i 'enn, head master of the boys' school here, were parties to a peculiar action at the Resident Magistrate's Court. Fenn, it appears, lent .£IOO to Cooko and another person named Hewson to complete the purchase of a block of land, and as security received a. joint promissory note, payable on demand, for £110, it being understood that the money was to be repaid in about a month. The money was not paid, and Perm sued Cooke, who confessed judgment. Perm's lawyer made arrangements with Cooke, by which the latter transferred all his right and title in ! the land to Perm, and Hewson then entered into an arrangement with Perm to buy the land for .£llO before June 1, 1887 ; but it was ultimately sold to someone else for £80, and plaintiff now sued for £72, being made up of the balance on the £100 lent, with costs of conveyancing, &c. The Resident Magistrate dismissed the judgment summons. It came out in evidence that Perm, after acting as lay-reader in the Church of England, was in the habit of meeting Hewson to discuss business matters; and this, with the fact of his lending money at the rate of 120 per cent, was commented on by defendant's counsel.