SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2334, 16 December 1914, Page 9

SUPREME COURT

CIVIL SESSIONS CONTINUED SETTLEMENT REACHED. . The civil sessions of the Supreme Court wore continued yesterday before His Honour Mr. Jus t ice Hosking, when Nicholas Abbott and Phillip Lowry, ex-ecutors-of the estate of the late Eleanor Jones, . proceeded against John Woodman Jones and Edward H. Jones to recover the sum of £850 alleged to be owing. Mr. M. l'\ Luckie appeared for the' plaintiffs, while Mr. T. Neava appeared for the. defendant, J. W. Jones. The other, defendant was present, but had no counsel to represent him in the action. A special jury of four had been empanelled for tile hearing, but during the afternoon a settlement was reached and the jury was discharged. The defendants who are brothers, admitted liability each for the sum of £175, with certain riglits reserved to' them and noted by the_ Court. The question as to whether interest is due on the amount for six years is to be settled by His Honour after hearing counsel. MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE. Thomas Lukes Webb., market/ gardener, of Avondale, Auckland, disappeared in rather mysterious fashion m Ju'na last. He was last seen on Thursday, June 25. A couple of days previously he had been seou by a neighbour, and had asked the neighbour to let his brother in Auckland know that he want-" ed to see him on important business. The brother went to Avondale, and was informed by Webb that he was leaving his property to him. On the following Saturday the brother again visited Avondale, and found the house looked. There was no sign of Thomas Lukes Webb. The police were communicated with, and. proceeding to the house, found the keys inside a billy in the shed. On searohina the house they found in a box in a bedroom a purse containing £25. They ali=o found another 6mall sum of money in the house. On making inquiries they ascertained that on the night of June 26 a motorcar, had been seen in the lane outside of Webb's house, but had been unable to find any traco of 'the car. Extensive inquiries and advertising have since thrown no light on Webb's whereabouts. _ There was a sequel to the disappearance in the Supreme Court at Wellington yesterday morning, when the Publis Trustee (represented by Mr. E. P. Hay) applied for a direction in regard to Webb s estate, which is worth somo £2000. The, application was made under Part 3 of the Public/Trust Act, relating to unclaimed property.

His Honour Mr. Justice Hosking,.,who heard the application, gave instructions for the usual formalities to be complied with, and made an order appointing tho Public Trustee to take charge 'of the estate. <'■.':■'.[ INTERPRETATION SOUGHT. His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) was occupied in the Supremo Court yesterday hearing an originating summons brought for the purpose of obtaining interpretation of a will. The plaintiff was tho trustee of the estate of the late Charles Fowell Watts and the defendants wore Mary Kate Sweet and others. Mr. C. Y. Fell, of Nelson) appeared for the plaintiff, while , Mr. N. P. Adams appeared for the ', defendants, who are the beneficiaries under the will of the late Claries Fowell Watt. : The teetator died on July 28, 1881, and left a' will and codicil dated September 11, 1880, "and July 22, 1881, re- - epeotively. To everyone of his three sons he bequeathed £4000, and to each of his two daughters £2000. Provision was also made in the will for "'an annuity to the widow. Certain of the legatees have since died, and some diffi-: culties have arisen. The Court's direction was therefore asked in regard to certain provisions of the will. After hearing legal argument, His Honour reserved decision. : ; DUNEDIN SUPREME COURT, ,(By Telegraph.—Preee Association.) . , Dunedin, December 15. ■'In the Supreme Court this morning, Samuel Alexander Lewis} who pleaded guilty in.the lower Court to forgery, was committed"to the Bu'rnham.lndustrial School. . . '. : :A motion for leave to appeal for a new trial in the case Christina Barlow, convicted at last sessions of forgery, on the ground that tho verdict was against the weight of evidence, was dismissed. Christina Barlow then came up for sentence for not complying with the conditions of. her release. Prisoner, when convicted last session of forgery, was ordered to come lip for sentence when called upon, on.condition that she went to the Salvation Army Home. She left the home without leave. Prisoner was ordered to b? detained for reformative treatment, Lot exceeding three years. .. .