SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2547, 23 August 1915, Page 9

SUPREME COURT

SUITS IN DIVORCE. Two undefended divorce suits were heard'in the Supreme Court on Saturday by His Honour the Chief Justico (Sir Robert Stout). Arthur Patrick Sweeney, labourer, of Auckland, petitioned for a dissolution of his marriage with Jario Teresa Sweeney. Mr. P. J. O'Regau appeared for petitioner, and Mr. V, R. Meredith appeared on behalf of the Solicitor-Gen-eral, the guardian ad litem of ihe respondent, who is in a mental hospital. Evidence was given by Dr.. Beattio, medical superintendent of the Avondale Mental Hospital, certifying that the respondent is incurably insane.., Adeoreo nisi was granted.' Alfred John -Bullitt sought a divorce from Ellen May. Bullifl; on the ground of misconduct, William Laurie being joined as co-respondent.- Mr.. P., J. O'Regan appeared for _ petitioner. _It appeared that the parties were married in. 1900, and that there were ftfur children of the marriage, two of whom (boys) were living with the petitioner, and the two others (girls) were living with the. respondent. Petitioner gavo evidence that respondent had admitted that she was living with Laurie as his wife at Na>pier for several months.' A decree nisi was granted with costs on the lowest scale against the corespondent.

A GAMING APPEAL. THE PLAY OF PAK-A-POO. , Appeal was mado by Joe Tong against the decision of Mr. G. Cruickshank, S.M.. at Wellington, by which appellant was fined £75, in default three months' imprisonment,' as the occupier of' a common gaming house. The evidence for the prosecution, which the Magistrate accepted, sought to; show that Tong conducted at his premises a pak-a-poo lottery. Mr. F. G. Jellicoe appeared for the petitioner, and Mr. P. S. K. Macassey for the respondent. Mr. Jellicoe argued that all that'was proved by. the evidence was that defendant sold a ticket, or piece of paper, alleged to be a pak-a-poo ticket. He cited the description of the game of pak-a-poo incorporated in a decision of Sir Joshua "Williams, There were several operations in a pak-a-poo lottery, he said. A person who wished to have a venture in a pak-a-poo lottery could procure a blank ticket, mark out certain of tho Chinese numerals on tlio face of it, and return it to the selling agent, .with a sum of money, usually six-, pence. Tho decision of the lottery depended upon tho drawing, 'which might tako place at some other time and place. Ho argued that there was no evidence that Tone had done any more than accept money with a marked_ ticket, that the conducting of a step in an illegal game in any premises did not constitute tho premises a gaming house, and that therefore the evidenco did not justify tho conclusion, that Tong's premises were ill fact a common gaming-house. ' • His Honour: Then, if a man conducted the threo operations in .three different rooms in different premises he could never bo convicted for keeping a common gaming-house? Mr. Jellicoe said that tho deoision of the Court in such a case must depend \ipon. the evidence.. After hearing Mr. Macassey s argument on tho law, as against the construction which Mr. JelTicoo had asked the Court to .put upon the statute, His Honour reserved judgment.