A POET IN TROUBLE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1340, 13 September 1886, Page 3

A POET IN TROUBLE.

“ Givis ” in the Otago Daily Times Buys ;—A. claim brought in the Auckland Police Court the other day was based on the romintic belief that original poetry hta a money value. Strangely enough the Fclaimant. one Goodenough, was a printer in the Star office, where, if anywhere. the fend delusion ought to have been knocked out of him. Plaintifl deposed that|in conversation with the defendant. also a printer, he had mentioned the fact that be could write poetry. Whereupon Defendant said : “ You're trying to take a rise out of me.” Pluntlff: “Oh, no, I'm not; I can dash off poetry with ease. I don’t mind writing some for yon if you like,” What will you write about ?” “ Let me see. Have you had a mother?” (This remark wrs put in such a way that even the E:M. could not maintain his usual gravity.) The result of the conversation was tha v Goodenough wrote 16 or 20 verses on “ the sorrows and trials of his (the other man’s) mother.” On subsequently applying for the payment of £2 2s, value of poetry supplied to order, the other mau told.him to “clear out, or he would run him through a trick wall.” Cross-ex-amined, plaintiff said that he thought his poetry was every bit as good as Tennyson’s “In Memoriam,” and a long waybetter than Pope’s “Essay on Man.” He was taught in a good school of poetry, and he was always led to believe that “ faiu ” rhymed with “name” and “home" with “own.” Having made these remarkable statements, plaintiff had a fit In the witness box, p obsbly with the idta cf enabling the courr. to look upon “the poet’s eye in a fine frenzy rolling.” Nothing, however, came of this. The court held that though the plaintiff was Goodenough hs pre ry was not, and gave judgment against him with costr. The “ other mao,” alias the defendant, ought now to sue the poet for writing 16 or 20 verses on the “ Sorrows and trials of his (the other manV) mother.” It is clearly a case for exemplary damage.