A Curious Case

Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 October 1916, Page 3

A Curious Case

d * .SHANNON residents at law. A rather umi.suail case occupied tin attention of Mr J. AV. Po.vnton. S.M. at the Pa lino is ton Magistrate's Conn 011 Tuesday afternoon. The plaintif in the James Richardson, butch er, claimed £14 -Is 5d from the defend ? nnt, John Hamilton, farmer. The de 1 fence was a denial that the money was owing, and defendant produced a re- ! ceipted account, hearing what purportI ed to lie plaintiff's signature, showing that the money had been paid. Mr A. Guy appeared for plaintiff and Mr H. R. Cooper for defendant. I'ornial evidence was given bv plaintiff that the amount claimed was owing. Mr Cooper then handed up the receipted account, and plaintiff, while admitting there was a similarity between his own handwriting and the signature on the receipt, protested vigorously, and allegedi that the signature was not genuine. I His Worship then asked plafintiff to write his signature on a separate piece of paper, which he did, atuT on comparing the writing His Worship considered there was a great similarity in the writing. Soil in a Hamilton, wiife of defendant, deposed that she paid the amount £14 4s ,nl owing to plaintiff on October 2, 1015. The money was paid to plaintiff personally, and ivas in gold and silver. Witness's married daughter and son were present at the time. • Alice Pay ton, daughter of the Tast witness, saidl she remembered her mother paying the account and receiving the receipt which was produced in Court. His Worship said lie would accept the ireceipt as eafefnetory evidence that the account had been paid. TCvidently there had been a lapse of memory on plaintiff's part. Hamilton then entered a counterclaim against Richardson for £9 17s (kl for drainage work done. Hamiilton said with another man named Arnold! he took a drainage contract from Richardson. Arnold left the district and witness engaged other labour and carried out the work. Richardson said he let the property to i Arnold, and Hamilton conjointly at a I"™™ rental of £2 per acre per annum, and the contract was to be debited against the rent. ! His Worship said Hamilton's version was the more likely, and gave judgment for the amount claimed.