Supreme Court.

Manawatu Herald, 6 February 1896, Page 3

Supreme Court.

BOBERTSON V. GORDON.

Mr Skerrett opened the case for the plaintiff, the defendant not being present or represented. According to the plaintiff's story, the Messrs A. and L. Robertson, brothers, blacksmiths, of Palmeraton North, early in 1895 commissioned a man oamed Michael Eyan to proceed to Sydney to purchase for them a particular maiden trotting horse. Ryan was instructed that if he could buy this particular horse he was to send for the money. On 4th June be telegraphed that he could buy it, and Robertsons sent him the "£3B required. Later in the month Ryan arrived at Napier with a trotting mare named Maggie - not the horse he bad been ordered to buy, but one which he considered a superior i animal. Robertsons did not like the look of Maggie, and refused to take it, whereupon Ryan offered to obtain for them within a month another horse named Hero. He did not get ?faro for them, and the Robertsons becoming anxious about their money, Ryan, in July, handed over to them as security the mare Maggie. Gordon, the owner of Maggie and defendant in the present action, who is a resident in Sydney, came to New Zealand in August after his mare, and calling on the Robertsons, aiked them where they had obtained the animal, and stating that he had tnly leased it' to Ryati. The Robertsons declined to give up the mare until they were satisfied that tbie w%B correct, and Gordon, after showing them some papers purportto be a lease of the animal, threatened to take action against them for stealing it. He declined to submit thdfLn.eetion of ownership to disinterested persons, and ultimately had the Robertsons arrested on the charge of stealing the mare. The arrests were made in public and were all over New Zealand. After several remands the charge was enquired into and dismissed, and

the Robertsons now claimed £$01 as damages for malicious prosecution. Judgment was given for £250 and costs according to scale.— Post.