Page 1 Advertisements Column 4

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2000, 8 February 1907, Page 1

MAGISTRATE’S COURT, UNDEFENDED CASES. (.Before Mr Barton, S.M.) His Worship yesterday gave judgment in tlio following undefended eases:—Grundy and Shennan (Mr Blair) v. Thomas St. Lawrence Toner and Rita Toner, £2 19s 9d and costs; Common, Shelton and Co. (Mr Stock) v. John Hugh Morgell Stodart, £ls 17s Oil and costs ; W. Ashwood Friar v- August Robert Ross, £l3 11s 2d and costs; Edward Williams (Mr Bright) v. 1,. M. Bolton, £ll 6s and costs; W. J. M. Attwood (Mr R. U. Burke) v. Jno. Martin, £3 13s 3d and 10s costs ; James Whinray v. John Brooking, £32 4s Bd. JUDGMENT SUMMONSES.

Alfred Henry Oillm<*.n (Mr Blair) v. ivi Karmoanu. £3 13s Od, in dcfnult four days’ imprisonment ; A. Henry Gillman (Mr Blair) v. Holiapa Waikoro, £8 2s, in default nine days’ imprisonment; R. Hannali and Co'. (Mr H. J. Finn) v. Wm. Olive, £3, in default three days’ imprisonment. A QUESTION OF LIABILITY. Reginald Henry Imago v. Thomas East. Mr Blair appeared for plaintiff, and Mr Stock for defendant.^ The action was to rocovor £5 Os 9d, value of goods supplied to defendant. Plaintiff, examined by Mr Blair, said defendant opened an account with him on 7tli October, 1905, in company with two other men. Plaintiff did not know the other men. Defendant said, “You don’t know these other follows: you know me. They are going fishing, and we want to get some stuff from you. Defendant said ho was going to sell the fish. The account was opened in the name of East and Co. Some of the goods were taken away as shown in the account on the 7th October. They were ■piitTinto the defendant’s trap. Goods were obtained from plaintiff at other times —sometimes hy defendant and sometimes by the other men. One of the accounts was addressed to H. East. All accounts were addressed to Makauri, where defendant lived. Defendant first disputed the account in November last. Prior to that time plaintiff had several times spoken to defendant about the accounts, and had asked him for payment. Defendant did not on any of those occasions dispute his liability. About February last, when plaintiff asked defendant for payment, he said lie had no money, and could not pay. After this plaintiff saw him again and told him that he had heard he was going away. Defendant said plaintiff had “got hold of the wrong yarn,” that he was not going away. In November plaintiff pressed defendant for payment. Before doing so defendant had denied owing him anything at all. By Mr Stock: Defendant did not say‘to him at the outset that his brother and another man wished to open an account with him. Plaintiff did not think defendant bought goods from him and paid for them on the 7th October. An account was made out to defendant, but he chd not think it was sent to Mr H. Thomas East, the defendant, said he had simply introduced his brother and Mr Reid to plaintiff as persons who wanted to open an account with him. Plaintiff said, “Very well; what name shall I put down? _ His (defendant’s) brother said, H East ” His brother ordered the goods. He (defendant) did not say that he would be responsible for the account. When plaintiff came to him for payment, witness said, 1 don’t owe you anything. Go to the men who got the goods. ’ Henry East, laborer, defendant s brother, said ho was responsible ror the account. „ , . By Mr Blair: AJI the accounts went to his brother, and they were forwarded to witness. His Worship said lie was quite satisfied that defendant was liable For the amount. Judgment would be for plaintiff for the amount for the claim and £2 Is costs.

LONDON CHAT. LONDON, Bpc. 21. I regret 1 to say that there is ns yet no diminution in the severity of the influenza epidemic winch has devastated London for somo weeks past, it would be tedious to recount the names of all the eminent personages who have suffered, or arc sintering, from the visitation. It could not well have come at a more inconvenient time than just at the height ot the Christmas trade. But the medical profession appear to be as unable to ward it off as f;o cure attacks when thoy have onco started, until they have run their full course. As rsew Zealand is quite likely, as oil some former occasions, to follow suit in this respect, I may as well give my colonial readers the advantage or some special consultations of great medical luminaries. Sir William Broadbent, who perhaps stands second to none as an autlioiity on pulmonary and allied disorders, is emphatic on the efficiency of quinine, not only as a remedy, but also as a prophylactic—or, as wc ignorant laymen would call it, a preventive, not “preventative," as some still more ignorant persons put it—-and urgently recommends that during an influenza epidemic a two-grain quinine pill should be taken every morning as a precautionary measure.. Most of his colleagues agree with him as to the value of quinine, but some advise that it should bo taken in the more stimulative ammoniated form; and it is further suggested that when tliis latter plan is adopted, the arnllioniated quinine should he taken in sufficient aerated water —soda, potash, or litliia—to ensure complete solution of the quinine, which is indicated by the disappearance of the milkiness, that being replaced by perfect transparency. These “tips" may, I think, prove useful. A SEQUEL TO INFLUENZA.

IBut there is one alleged sequel to influenza which is particularly disquioting, as it implies a grave disturbance of the moral sense. A few days ago a “lady” was brought up before a London magistrate charged with barefaced shop-lifting. She had gone into a shop to buy some trifling thing, she went out vastly increased in bulk, and being politely stopped at the door, proved to be padded all over with a variety of portable articles, only stopping short at the dimensions of a pump or a kitclien-range. She had to admit that they came from the shop, and that sho had not paid for them. But it was pleaded in extenuation that she had plenty of money, being of large independent means, and was quite able to pay for the goods sho was carrying off. It was implied, therefore, quite as a matter of epurso, tha,t she could not possibly be. stealing, it being assumed as an axiom that ricli people 'never dream of robbing others. This suggests, by the way, that poor Ahab was rather hardly used in connection with that little matter of Naboth. But, to proceed: The magistrate found himself unable to accept the view that a theft when, committed by a person who Was actuated only by greed is not a theft, whereas if committed by a starving unfortunate in order to obtain bread fpr starving children, it would be a crime of the deepest dye. Ho obstinately held that theft was a theft. So then the defending counsel was inspired with a brilliant idea. Ho declared that bis client’s action was due to influenza. The magistrate was staggered for a moment, as he had not before beard that the disease hail this peculiar effect. He asked for more particulars. Thereupon the counsel glibly ran off a cleverly plausible argument that influenza had the effect, through its influence on the nervous system, of temporarily paralysing tile sense of right and wrong, and indeed of inspiring a strong inclination to commit actions which the sufferer, when in good health, would regard with the utmost loathing and disgust. The contention was really quite too thin, but it actually so staggered the magistrate that ho virtually let off the offender, merely fining her £5, which, of course, was paid down upon the spot. It may be anticipated that henceforth influenza will be a very popular defence to all. charges of crime; under the malign influence of “flu.” a man may well get rid of inconvenient. persons or help himself to other people’s goods, yet escape practically scot free if he can show or make it appear that he has recently had a slight 'touch of influenza. A most, agreeable discovery for the criminal class. A NEW ORATORIO.

Sir Edward Elgar’s new oratorio, “The Kingdom,” was perform'd for the first time in'" London two .lights ago, by the London Choral Society,