NAPIER NEWS-NOTES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 468, 17 June 1890, Page 3

NAPIER NEWS-NOTES.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) A QUEER CASE .* R. M. MILLER LOOKING OUT FOR “ EX’S.” Napier, Saturday night. A caee of rather a peculiar character came before she Resident Magistrate last week, in which R. M. Miller, formerly lawyer’s clerk in Gisborne, but now bailiff in the R.M. Court, fced a local shopkeeper for the sum of £5, under the following circumstances: —When Miller was doing a little commission agent business here recently, the defendant came up to him in the street and asked him how much he thought it would cost to get a divorce. Miller replied that he did not know exactly—it all depended on circumstances. The defendant then asked if he would institute inquiries. Miller did so. He went to one lawyer, who said he would take up the case for the sum of £5O. He then interviewed another, and this member of the profession said his price would also be £5O. A third was then interviewed, and he got this solicitor to do it f-r £3O. This necessitated a number of interviews, loss of time, conferences with the defendant, ascer;ai ling detai : s, &c. The defendant closed wi h the bargain of the £3O lawyer, and the writs weie sealed, there being two co-respondents. However, as the latter were men of money, the case was settled. Miller now asked the Resident Magistrate to give judgment in his favor for £5, which he thought was a fair chai go for services rendered in connection with tb« preliminaries of the divorce prooeedingp. He was iepresented by Mr W. Darnell. Mr J. Cresswell appeared for the defendant and asked for a nonsuit on a point of law, which was to the effect that Miller was not a solicitor, and he had done work which shou'd only have been performed by a solicitor, consequently laying himself open to prosecution for a breach of the Law Practitioners Act. The R.M. coincided with Mr Cresswell, and nonsuited the plaintiff. THE RECENT ASSAULT CASE. On Thursday a man named Patrick John Carey, formerly drill instructor here, was charged with assaulting the former bailiff of the R.M. Court, James Morrison, with a walking stick, inflicting grievous bodily harm. Mr Creaewell appeared for the prisoner. Morrison stated that he was in a machinist’s shop with his wife on the morning of the assault when Carey called him a perjurer and a liar, and pointed his walking stick at him, and Morrison walked out, but saw Carey on the opposite side of the street just afterwards, and the latter again pointed his stick at him. lu the afternoon when he went home, and his wife went out olnewhere, Carey came i■» at the back door and violently assaulted him, cutting his head and face open, and blacking bis eye. He was covered in blood, and after a severe tussle he managed to push Carey out. Carey s-zid he had come to murder him. Dr Innes was called >ud Morrison had u keep to his bed for a few days. He appeared in Court with his head bandaged up. The RM. said the assault was one out of the ordinary and ne committed Carey to stand his trial. Bail was allowed. MB E, F. HARRIS BANQUETTED. At Hastings on Tuesday night the licensed interpreters gave a dinner to Mr E. F. Harris, of Gisborne, who is president of the Native Interpreters’ Assooia ion. Mr J. Carroll, M.H.R., occupied the chair, and Mr Brassey the vice-chair. • Members of the legal profession aud a number of native chiefs were pre- I sent by invitation. Host Dennett, of the i Albert Hotel, provided a capital repast, and a J pleasant evening was spent by all.

At the coursing club’s meeting W. Proffit’s Macaroni and E- Humphries’ Wuitiri divided the stakes. is favouri'e for the steeplechase on Thursday, but it is more than likely that the pot will be boiled over. Mission services in the cathedral were brought to a ciose lest evening when a thanksgiving service was held, a number of letters from persons who benefited by the mission being read. Mr J. Ivess, formerly in the House of Representatives, and who stood fjr Napier at the last election, has started a vaper in Newcastle, N.S.W. The Rev. W. Colenso has indited a letter to one of the local papers against the brutal game of football. We play it just the same, though. The Spit School Committee intend bringing the compulsory clauses of the Education Act into operation, and have got “ a little list ” of 13 parents whom they intend to proceed against. Our Steeplechase Meeting on Thursday next will produce some good sport for lovers of cross country contests. The Physical Drill Classes at the district school, organised by Sergeant Major Huddelston, are proving a great success, the children evincing much interest in their work. Napier Rugby Union have adopted the system of line umpires in f.iotbaM matches. One man is placed on each side of the ground and marks the exact spot where the ball went out, and pu:s up his flag when a man running with the ball puts his foot out of bounds. The News advocates the formation of school libraries. Judge Edwards will in all probability conduct the next sittings of the Supreme Court here. The Timber Workers’ Union is now an accomplished fact. Complaints are made that the exhibits sent to the Dunedin Exhibition by the school children, have not yet been returned. A tailoresses’ union will probably be formed here shortly. Sarah Pierrepoint, aged 80 years, and who is still hale and hearty, got a fortnight the other day for making use of obscene language. R. C. Harding, printer and bookseller here, is giving up business. Bro. A ; P. Kennedy has been elected W.M. of the Scinde Lodge of Freemasons, Seeing that M.H.R.’s all over the colony are addressing their constituents, the News wants to know why Mr Ormond does not favor us with a little address also. Mr A. Hamilton, librarian to the Alhe nseum, curator at the Museum, and a member of the Philosophical Institute, has been appointed to the position of Registrar of the Otago University. In the case of Morton v, Cresswell, claim £lO, the plaintiff alleging that defendant’s charge for conduc ixig hie case with the Union Company, in which he got judgment, was excessive, the R.M. gave judgment for the plaintiff, for £3 3s and coats. Mr Brassey, who appeared for the defendant, contended that the lower court had no jurisdiction, and had no right to tax the coats of the Supreme Court He asked for leave to appeal. Mr Lascelles objected on account of the smallness of the amount and the expense, whereupon Mr Brassey said there was a principle involved, and with regard to the plaintiff’s cost in going to another Court he would see that they were paid. The R. M. has not yet given his decision. The Heretaunga Licensing Committee were obliged to refuse a license from hotel at Maowhanga (Inland Patea) on the ground that the Native Assessor, Captain Preece, objected to it, Messrs 8. M. Wilson and Co advertise in the News that they are proprietors of the Occidental Hotel, Palmerston North.