GREY MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 27 March 1901, Page 4

GREY MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Tuesday, March 20th,

(Before R. S. Hawkins, Esq., S. M.)

J. Mcaligcr v. Executor in the estate of John Giblin (deceased). —Claim for .£l-3 for monies lent.

Mr. Hannan for the plaintiff and Mr' Guinness for the defendant.

J. Me ighcr, sworn, said : I lent deceased John Giblin £25 in September, 1898, so that ho might pay rent. Later I ran the business for him and put £25 in the safe, this was three days before he died. I locked the safe and gave Giblin the keys. I went to Blackball and came back three days after. Ho was then dead. All the blankets and grog wore gone. I worked eight weeks in the bar and ran the business for him. There was a. brisk business owing to (ho Mapourika being ashore. I did not receive any payment. Then in August, 1899, rail it for six weeks. Then two weeks in January, 1900. During that time I was m sole charge, and ordered supplies, etc., necessary to keep the show going. Another item is for loot) shares in the Garden Gully Company. Their value was £25. I did not receive any money at all. 1 was to take the hotel on the Tuesday before he died. He gave me security of a watch for the first lot of money. I did not take it to Blackball. I also put a silver one in the safe for T. Bcsscn. By Mr, Guinness : Lessen told me that lie had put in a claim for the watch. He did not tell me that he had put in a claim for £5 lent. I know the date of the first loan, leaving-it down in a memorandum book. I put . the entries in myself. _ I got the book two months ago, the entries having been made since then. It has no entries in ifby Tlogen. Mr Hannan here explained that witness had two books, one a copy and the other the original but as he had brought the copy from Blackball ho did not produce it.

Eventually Mr Guinness consented to the production of the copy. Witness continuing. It is an exact copy. There are no entries about shares in the original. I lent the money on September 19th, 1893. I drew the money out of the hank and gave it to Giblin in notes, lam sure I put the money in the safe, Besson was there at the time. Gihlin did not take it in his hands, I counted it before him and Bcsscn, This was in his bedroom. I drew £25 on January 28(h, 1900, ' three days prior to his (Giblin's) death. 1 have borrowed money from Giblin. Never more than £l. Giblin asked mo to work for him. I paid him £L a week for board. The agreement was £3 per week. I swear that in September, 1899, I was not working at the Roaring Meg. I did not make a present of the Garden Gully shares. I swear that ho said he bought them from me. I paid £1 on the shares in Gibiin’s name. I never got a receipt for board. J, Besson gave evidence corrobating that of the previous witness in' regard to the money transactions and the watches. By Mr Guinness: When I saw Meagher serving in the bar, I did not think he was working for wages. lam certain that he said he was going to the bank to put £25 in. . I always understood the shares were a gift.

By Mr Hannan: It was. through Giblin that I thought the shares were a gift Ho was pinched for money sometimes. I was in the house for two or three weeks after his death. Nobody removed anything. The bedroom door was locked. At this stage of proceedings the Court adjourned.