SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2197, 9 July 1914, Page 11

SUPREME COURT

- UNRAVELLING A TANGLE l; OVER A WILL QUEER CUSTOMS IN WALES. An - originating summons, presenting some interesting features, was lieard before Mr.. Justice Hosking in, the Supreme Court■'■yesterday.' morning: The opinion of the Court, was sought in gard. to..'iv-honi:.diould be giveii one. of the shares, in the residuary estate, of Jolm farmer, formerly' of'Waipukuraii. yThs plaintiff was' John LleweUyn' Charles Mertbn, solicitor, of Waipulmrau,; executor of the estate of tho. lato John Evans,' and the "defendants, were "Elizabeth : ; Jones, ■' married woman, of Mnclor,: Degamvy, Wales, and Adelaide Brookes, widow, of Llan-dudno,-'Wales: ■ ■■-:■ ,31r. D: S.: Smith .appeared-for the plaintiff, raiertpii),;,Mr. J. H.- G. Murdoch, of Napier; .appeared for the exe-' cutor of Elizabeth Jones', (recently deand Mr. i. iSeave appeared for. 'Adelaideßrookes

;;;Froni;patticulars'before the Court it ' appeared'that; John Evans's will, after malnngr provision "for ~the: payment .of.; .certain legacies,, directed- that "the.resi- ■: duary estate. ; slibuld; be divided'into, two 1 shares;;, one .of;these shares to g0;,.t0, • ; "Eliza-; Brookes',; of' Llandudno, Wales, : tho daughter'of my. sister Eliza," '-Nona-' , of; the; nieces '6f. the'deceased answered' .the/name of Eliza-Brookes,'- but:, the riglit'tq the share (ah.amount ofi£soo) .was claimed by .two nieces, the defend-antsi-Elizabeth' Jones and,. Adelaide Brookes. ;:-;Thc: was a /daughter, ' of wliilo" , iAdelaide' Brookes-was; not, but;oh' the; otlier/hahd-'Adclaido Brookes, was a resident;, of JjlaiiduchiOji while ;Elizabetli' Jones-had not lived strictly within tho limits;;6f. Llandudno; ."at..'.the; time <h#:; ceas'edJwas.,'on'a ; ;visit.Hb Wales.';;-There' was;- however, .•c'onsidorablo .evidence by '~ affidavit ,to; show.' that; at: ah; ..earlier perip^ ; l'EUza^etli--;.Jbncs':h'ad'.^ived....>with>' ■ her mother in Llaiidu'diio, at aplace'call-'-.eil,''Tlie,;Bricks,'" and' that for;.the sake 'of;distmcti6ri.'; i -she ?: had.'.been 'knmyu-"as •f-'Eliza-Bribks." '/Itj.was v (said ~the affidavits).'a;i''cbriimbn'cusfcih: iii;; Wales' to distingvJisihVirt' ; this-', way ;;'^dif-; ' fereht people ]oi ,t!ie,hame of/Jones',.arid ■ . several "witnesses; expressed themselves. •,as:of. opinion ;that the deceased; (John ■ Eyans);had;iriterid<?di,;tb..leave ;the. half: share.;iri;the;residuary', estate to .',' Eliza ;BnclK';''.brit'that ; hisinterition' f hadbeeii '.mistaken-b'v'the/solicitordrawing 1 ; ,up; : the;\yill;;.'.Tliis;.was; supported in bnefof the a theory that the testa-;tor-(John.jlvans),/who ;had ; false .teeth,. .wasnot; at.tlie.itime; ■ lie ■ .instructed; his;- solicitor; in; regard to; 1 i the>preparatio.n.:or;the will..'. :;■;; . .;.Y'Mr,' ; ;,Bmith l : V-in;add^'sih'g'-,th'e.''Co.nr't , j'' contended .that -the.'; gift, 'to" "Eliza - ;Br6pkes".;-never .took': effect,-,-and -that ; the/monoy, should go.tb:'testatorVnext ;of- kin;; . of h 'Elizabeth;..Jones's rights,/while..Mr;: ;Neaye,'addressed.''%e-.Court on behalf 'of; Axlelaide;;Brookea/;*,':;;;>;;;; '■'■■. ■;,,; 'jA: '!.';;'; .HHis Honour:reserved judgment ■ '^i),. : , ' !IijSFDTE ) : : tho;.''.prirpos6 ;of/ascertainirigvt'lie; ; position-: of' the ;'Opuricil in'regard_to-certairivclaims-'fbr. : igmpensatibn; ;-which v had; /bete/'mado; ;agairist:;the;cpurity|'under. 1 ' the;; Public' . .vW6'rks;.Aot|. an-; originating. i[ -summons, i. was'/issued; in the .'Supreme .' Court .at. ': Palmerston Nbrth/.'and.yeste'rdayVit'was •' aigiied;before;the;/Chief"'Justice /;.(Sir, ' Robert Stout) j.- Mi ; .: Justice; Denniston,;. ! Mr. - 1 /Justice"i Edwards,i'-Mr.; 1 ;-; Justice, ' .Cooper, and; Mr. Justice; Stringer;. The ! . plaintiff;(was';. the l :;, ; Kairans'a-.v' County i ;Cp«noili' l -'v' : and\> v the' I .'^defendants.-\wero' ■Roberta- Edward 1 Bannister, journalist,' . of/:''Sydney,; William -//Joseph., Smith,'■ fa:rmer,;;rif;.LiritonV';arid r Smith' 1 ; Smitlij ; farmers, of \Co\jr' ; ■ r >/;rV-:;/ <'-:;/';//;■'/; : -- -'Vi/vr^K

:',f.l-Mr: ;H..,R.^CobperV; ; ;bf ■ Korthi'■:•'■' appeared', 'for- 'the' -.Kniranga £puiity; - Mr; : H,;Giff(>i-d;Mbore,; 1 otPal.nierstbri r Nortli,,;.appeared,. for'/the ;'do-' .feudarit'piirinister,'.while-Mr.;., C,-"';P. ;Skerrbtt.;K.C..'.with;Mr. Oram; fippear-' c4 r iforVthe defendants,,? Messrs; Smith.'. 25, ,1911 , : - a piece of land y : cpn- ; tairiuig 3 '■-. roods / anjjl .1' perch, 1 - situated' at. ;Fitzhbrbei , t;(ri'ea'r-J?alnierstbn North), in ''tuojKairahga. Coiiiityi, ivas'.taken:by,tho ; cb,unc'il ; :for:;tlieVpurpo'ses"'bf \J& '.public' rbadiv^'At 1 that tim.e'.tlie land was owned by ■:the; defendant (Bannister) and.leased bviitfe,defendants (Smiths). ;In respect, of '.the': land''taken-;.'.and>; "of adjoining; land;-alleged ,tb:be. niiiiriously,;-atfeoted,'. : forj compensation: were 'IbVl.eed-b'y Bannister and;by Sinith Bros.; in.'-Majrj-1912. - 1 A' ; Cpmpensatioii ;Cburt'was ; constituted,,and'sa-t on August 27, ( ,1912-.';'tiq hear-.;th'o claims,: but', after ..the ■locality;:had : been.'irispected,-the"Court' ladjoiirned ;to allow '.a -suggested,;settle-: was /foundimpossiblp to', ar--.range a'settlenieutj-; and no,definite.flate for any:futurO|hearihg.was : :fixed.; ,Suhr. senuently,M;on.:'.JuneJ;l3,. 1913, a-new: .claini 'i.forocbmpensation l was niade .by tlioii.doWclaritSjy.cbveriiig■aniflurit..ofvthb.pr'eviious::'scaiarote 1 claims, it, being 1 contended. 1 by ..defondants that: 'tliere;'.was no pbwpr to adjourn the Court .sine'.dibi'.aiid .Uiiit'.tlißr'efor'i a- new 'claim'must jbe'ffet.'up-. within ', t-bo;. ptntutbry tipie 1 to. 1 alloV; pf-'.it:l)c;iii.« i he.T,i-d ,by',an-. ; oth.or'Cbui-t. .to'lie' constituted;' :■-.■ '..'' : ',";,The-summons now- befbrp tlie ■ Court ;was; iss'ued'to~'deterinine the questions.ns to the earlier'claim 1 ! for com-" • neristi'tibri;, ; hacl lapsed or : h'n'i been aban.'dbned,;as to whether tho'Coninensa+.ion; .Cpurtv'set ;-;upi, to hear ..such';-claims': had, lapsedi'Vitd as.. ta;whntb«i\. tJiis claim of Jnnn, I ,.l9i3:i"'\v. , »S"'a yalid,,claim,. ~" ■ " - 11 - ,'Vi'Aftbr ;fc, hearing. nrguirient .Their '.Honours:' reserved' decision. , ':. c : ■