PAINFUL OCCURRENCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1609, 28 November 1912, Page 7

PAINFUL OCCURRENCE.

j DEATH IN COURT ANTE-EOOM. • (By TcJegraph.—Press Association.) ; Christchurch, November 27. ; During the hearing, of a by-law case in , the Magistrate's Court this morning, a married woman named Amelia Nicholas . suddenly expired in the corridor. She - droppen on the floor before'anyone'could - come to her assistance, and Dr. Ander--2 son shortly afterwards pronounced life ; extinct. Mrs. Nicholas, who' was 38 -' years of age, was awaiting the hearing of a case iu which she was one of the de- . fendants. Subsequently tho case came ; before the Court, Wm. Henry Nicholas . and Mrs. Nicholas being charged on the • information of John Bridgeman with false ■ pretences. Bridgeman immediately step- • ped.forward and said that he desired to • withdraw the charge. Mr. O. T.-J. Alpers: I appear for de- • fendants. They are charged with an of- • fence under the Loans and Chattels Act. The case is a gross breach of the pro- - ceedings of this Court, ilt is an attempt • on the part of this man to recover a • sorry little debt by means of criminal i process. Unfortunately the woman, un- - der stress of ;llness, made the mistake of ; going to this man and borrowing money. > She gave him a bill of sale over goods ! valued at .£25, and got ,£lO. Her books . show that she paid, back .£lO 10s„ and ! she told me she was prepared to come . into court and swear that she paid ; Bridgeman .£27.. When this man discov- > ered that.he could screw no more money i out of the woman he tried a criminal pro- • cess, and she committed an offence in 1 ' ignorance by including articles a bill • of sale that were in another bill of I saw Bridgeman before the case came on, > and he said the woman had died of a bad " conscience, and that he would not with- ! draw the charge against the man. > . Bridgeman at this stage became highly > excited, and was ordered to keep quiet. > Mr. Alpers: I want these people's char- > acter vindicated from this prosecution. .• Had this man not laid tho charge against the woman she would be alive now. Bridegman muttered something about "making me a .murderer." ' The magistrate (Mr. T. A. B. Bailey): I have had occasion before to notice your method of. doing business. These documents are in a state of muddle. : The charge was withdrawn at this stage > and another case gone on with. ..At the inquest a verdict was returned j of death from heart failure.