OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 255, 23 July 1919, Page 6

OBITUARY

SIR JOHN DENNISTON Ky Telegraph—Press Aeaociation. Christchur-ch, July 22. Sir John Denniston died early this morning from pneumonia, following on, pleurisy. In compliance with the wish of the late Sir John Donniston, his remains will be cremated in Wellington. The ceremony will be a private one.

The late Sir John Edward Donniston, who was born at Bisliopton, Renfrewshire, Scotland, on June 20, 1845, was the son of Mr. Thomas Dennislon, merchant. lie matriculated at Glasgow University, where he won an entrance scholarship, but he left the University to come to Now Zealand with his father in 1862. Mr. Denniston, sen., took a sheep run in Southland, and his son, having worked in the Civil Service and in the Bank of New' South Wales, eventual!;- became a law student with Mr. W. l')ownie Stewart. Ho was admitted to the New Zealand Bar at Dunedin on August 4, 1874, by Mr. Justice Chapman, lather of the present Judge. For some months he practised at Wanganui with Mr. George Hutchison. In 1875 he became associated with Mr. Downie Stewart in Dunedin, nnd was a member ■of the legal firm of Stewart, Holmes, and Denniston. Court work was undertaken by Mr. Denniston, whose nanio was associated with many big civil and criminal cases in Otago. On tho death of Mr. Justice Johnston in 1889 Mr. Denniston -was elevated to the Bench, and retired in February, 1918, after completing almost 29 years' judicial service, the whole of which, with the exception of 'one year in Auckland, was spent in Christchurch. Speaking to itlic members of . the Christchurch Bar just prior to his retirement, tlie late Judge said: "You are aware that I have for some time desired to be relieved of the burden of office. I have passed the age nt which Parliament in its wisdom has decided, <tot only that some Judge may at that age have outlived his powers of usefulness, but also that lie may have done sn without being conscious of the fact. Had this Procrustean provision always existed, it would have deprived New Zealand not only of many years' service of some of" its most distinguished Judges, but of s ono living member of tinBench whose unimpaired physical and mental energy would nut to shame many of (he youngest members of the Bar; and it must in tlip future deprive it prematurely of many years of services wlii-h ivo 'shall fP'eati.v miss. T am not within (he actual ambit of this Act— ncr. I linne, am I phvsinlly or menially within the spirit. Of Hie latter, however, a mnii is not always in lii* own ease the best jud»e. lam within a few days of tlie twenty-ninth anniversary of my first occupation of this seat. Since that dite the'judicial wor|r of tbo district has greatly increased, and has within the Inst few <-ears renuired shannons ami lunreinittin? labour to overtake it—labour which has Die disadvantage of having to be undertaken singly. You will, therefore, not think it surprising that I should desire liberty and leisure for whatever term of the futuro may be allotted to me. Strenuous ns the work of those past -years lias been, it lias been varied and interesting, and I hope that I am justified in believing that it has been of some service to the State. If I am so justified, then any such service' has been accomplished in association with you whom I am now addressing."* ' His Honour was created a Knight Bachelor at the distribution of New Year honours in 1917. Since his retirement he had lived a. private life, except .for his services this year as president of the Epidemic • Sir John Denniston has left a widow (a daughter of the lato Judge Bathgate, of Dunedin), three, sons (Mr. Maurice Denniston, of Wellington, Mr. Hugh Denniston, a ranch-owner at Bnenos Aires, who is at present 'in London, nnd Mr. Geoffrey Denniston, a member of tho staff of Christ's College, Christcliurohj, and two daughters (Mrs. Harold Abraham, of Stratford, and Miss Helen Denniston, now on a visit to London). SUPREME COURT ADJOURNS. In the Wellington Supreme Court yesterday the case of Sorensen v. O'Brien and Co., an appeal from the decision of Mr* W. G. Eiddell, S.M., was to have been heard by tho Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout). His Honour, on taking his seat, said: "The very sad intelligence has arrived of tho death of Sir John Denniston, and considering the position he 'has occupied on the bench I think it only right that I should adjourn the Court until to-morrow. Ido not desire to say anything about him except that we have been personal friends for fifty years, and the announcement' of his death comes as a great shock to me, and I have the greatest sympathy for his family in .their groat loss." Reference will be made to the death of the late Sir John Donuiston when the Supreme Court sits this morning,

MB. SYDNEY JAMES, COMEDIAN. (Eec. July 22. 8.25 p.m.) Sydney, July 22. The deatii is reported, from India, vjiere his company was touring, of Mr. Sydney James, comedian:—Press Assn. T Sydney James was a remarkably versatile performer, whose talent has amused many thousands in New Zealand. He was the mainstay of tho Strollers, a costume comedy company which first visited Wellington in 1916. and returned again to this city in May, 1918, when i'hey presonted a revue of sorts entitled "Come Inside," in which Mr. James nave rein to his many admirable qualities as a comedian. He was a wonderfully good ventriloquist, and his dummy "Hilly" became n real personality under tho influence of Mr. James's deft manipulations, vocal and otherwise. He was also a capable mummer, and' will be well remembered for his burlesque on "Pec o' My Heart'' and his ludicrous nightwatchman sketch in "Come Inside." Mr. James was extremely popular in his profession.]