AN M.H.R.'S DOMESTIC TROUBLES.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 431, 19 July 1877, Page 3

AN M.H.R.'S DOMESTIC TROUBLES.

Mama ret m'keene t. h. wakoet.s

At tho Dunediu Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday last, Margaret M'Keene, of Duneain, domestic servant, claimed to recover from Henry Manders, at present of Dunedin, " journalist," possession of the undermentioned articles, which " the defendant has illegally detained and illegally detains from the plaintiff, or the sum of £3l 10a., the value of the same, and the plaintiff" also claimed £[o as loss and damage for the detention of said articles, wherefore the plaintiff claimed to recover from the defendant the sum of £4l 10s.; or £lO, and the return of said articles." The following is a list of the articles particularised in the information :—One feather bed, two pairs white blankets, four sheets, ladies' underclothing, half dozen pillow cases,„ one dressing table, one small table, two dresses, a " Yiew of Queenetown," fifteen fowls, and .three small picture.s.—Mr. jDenniston appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Mouat for the defendant.—ln opening the case, Mr. Denniaton said : The plain-, tiff is, I am instructed, a domestic servant, who has acted for Mr. Manders, who is a journalist, and also a member of the House of Representatives. It is stated by the plaintiff that her goods have been detained by him, and which she seeks to recover. There i 3 a long story about the matter, much longer, than I am inclined to go into.— j Margaret M'Keene deposed: I have I been housemaid to the defendant for j many years. I have not received the goods mentioned in the particulars | from Mr. Manders. I have asked for j them until I am sick and tired of asking for them. He had the goods in his possession. The solicitor in the country put the prices on the goods, and told me to do my best to get them.—Cross-examined: The last time I saw the goods was when they were in the defendant's premises at Queenstowu on a Tuesday about two months ,ago. I left Queenstown about a fortnight ago. I left the defendant's service more than two months ago. Mr. Manders was paying for my board at Queenstown. It is about a fortnight since I came to Dunedin. The reason I did not sue Mr. Manders at Queenstown was because he told me to keep quiet, and I was to return. I did not take my things away from Mr. Manders* place. 'He told me to keep quiet and not show him up, for fear he should lose his seat in the House. Mr. Manders said that he sent the ladies* underclothing down to his future wife. (Laughter.) He kept putting me off during the six weeks I was at Queenstown by saying that he would send the good 3 to me. The last words Mr. (Manders said to me on the jetty were that he would give me the goods if I quiet. It was no use bringing the case in a country place ■ like Queenstown, because you could not get justice there. There was no I reason as I was aware of why I should j not go to Mr. Manders house. At Queenstown I was convicted and fined ss. for giving him a slap on the face. That was before I went to service at his house the second time. I was not convicted of using unbecoming language at Queenstown. I was fined 40s. about a month ago in the Court at Queenstown. I was not convicted of vagrancy. It was a conspiracy. I have been in Mr. Manders' service going on for eight years—about seven years and a half. I did not bring the ' blankets with me, but about two years | ago I gave Mr. Manders £7 to buy them with. I had money of my own iu the Bank. Mr. Manders always used to appear " very light in pocket." , (Laughter.) I have given him many • a £7. The day before I left Queens- j town, I showed him a list of the things. He has robbed me and ruined me. J 1 have not annoyed him in the street. I did not take the feather bed to the defendant's house; I made it from feathers I got in the course of my employment, and I bought and paid for the calico tick, which I got in Dunedin I

about eight years ago. The pillowcases and sheets were newly made. I paid for them myself. 1 made the pillow slips when Mr. Manders was at the session last year. I paid for the.m out of my private money. I had £BO, and Mr. Manders got £4O out of me. He used to borrow money from me when he was electioneering. In the District Court at Queenstown, 1 sued him for £312, and 1 got a verdict for £SO, payable in instalments of £2 per month. I objected to that, and I was going to have an appeal. This was about two months ago. Mr. M'Gregor, the solicitor, gave me the dressingtable as a present when be left the house more than three years ago. I gave Mr. Manders ss. to pay for the small table about a year ago. I left my dresses and my underclothing in hia bouse. They were in his bedroom and in tbe front room during the afternoon. He grossly assaulted me, and I had to take to my bed. When I got better, he induced me not to take action against him, as it would show him up. I won the " Yiews of Queenstown " at a raffle. They were valued at £9. The fowls belonged to me, and Mr. Manders never asked me to remove them. He and his future wife have robbed me between them. He offered to put up a houße next door, and give me a lease for twenty years.—By the Court: I gave Mr. Manders £5 to buy tho t'nreo small pictures.—Mr. Mouat moved for a nonsuit. It was necessary for the defendant's case that evidence should be taken at Queenstown. Mr. Dennist.on having replied, his Worship ruled that there was a case to answer. — Jamea'ilenry TVTanders deposed: The plaintiff made demands for the things, but they war© my property, and all

marked in my own name. Miss M'Keene baa bad several opportunities to get tier goods out of my possession, I aud, in fact, I have made presents to ber. There are no dresses in thy house Miss M'Keene was brought up for drunkenness*, and she left my house about the middle of- February last. She was locked up for drunkenness about midnight the same day. Tho police came, and ' er six or seven boxes were opened, and ebo took them off my premises, .and stored- them in another . ias no * in E?y service since. I found a few of ber things in the house afterwards, and I sent them to ber. • With regard to the fowls, I have written from Wellington and asked her several times to take them away. Miss M'Keene's statement about the picture " Views of Queenstown "is quite correct. I won it-at a raffle and gave it to her. I bought the three pictures with my own money. Miss M'Keene never contributed anything towards tho expense. The feather bed I claim 13 my property. When she came to my house «he only bad a leather bag; As far as I know, she then had neither property nor money. T paid for the blankets with my own.monGy. I claim the dressing tablo, which 1 paid far, and "I hare refuped to deliver it to her. I paid for the calico which was used in making fche pillow-cases. I never put the plaintiff off'from time to tithe, as she describes, with regard to. the delivery of the goods.—-Cross examined : I was editor and reporter at Queens* own. The plaintiff came to my service in February, 1869. I have always paid her wages regularly, but I took no receipts. I have ho objection to pay the £SO awarded by the. District Court at Queen sfcowii to Miss M'Keene for wages. I take {be precaution to mark my goods.—Mr. Denniston: A nice domestic picture—the honorable member for Queenstown at home in the parlor marking the pillow-cases and feather beds made up by the servant in the kitchen. (Laughter.)— Margaret M'Keene, re-called : The morning after I was charged with drunkenness at Queen?town the Police went \*;ith me to Manders' house, but only two of my boxes were then removed. —This was all the evidence.—His Worship : The view that X take in this case is that the plaintiff is entitled to succeed for the views. She has demanded them, and the defendant has them in his possession all along. The presumption with regard to those views is that they don't belong to him. With regard to the other points, the plaintiff is bound to prove ber case, and the presumption is against her. When the defendant flatly contradicts the statement made, I am not justified as far as I can see in weighing the evidence to say that her ipse dixit is strong enough to weigh down h-is testimony. If I gave judgment in this, case as it now stands, I will give an order for the delivery of the views within a certain time, and failing that, value here.—Mr. MonatV We are willing to give the views to anyone at Queenstown. —Mr. Denniston : I submit that they should be delivered here. His Worship: The case might have been tried at Quoenstown. 'lhe plaintiff is indebted to herself for the difficulty she now experiences. If I had been asked at first, I should havo sent the whole thing back to Queenstown, bet since I have beard and tried it, I give an order for the delivery of the Views of Queenstown within 30 days, to the plaintiff, or any person she may . appoint in Dunedin, or payment of £7, and as the defendant ought not to have kept anything, and his parting with the plaintiff Beems to have been under peculiar circumstances, . be should have made an effort to bave got rid of everything: tliat be- could not say was his own.-r-Mr. Detmiston applied for damages.—His ."Worship : I gave £1 damages, with, costs.— ' Times,'