A MISSING COAT.

Otaki Mail, 7 December 1923, Page 2

A MISSING COAT.

CLAIM ON OTAKI MAORI RACING CLUB. U JUDGMENT RESERVED. At the fthM. Court yesterday Flora Ami Burt (Mr. Wn-en) claimed i'Un moin the Otaki -Maori Racing Club ( M r McDnuh) tor the loss of a fur coat ' . I lulling, Mr. Wiren stated earn, Don, Wellington on race d,v ’ , . belore the races started enquiry \v„luavie as to the salety of a coat if left m the cloak-mom. Mrs. Burt was a-. Sured the coil would ], e quite alright. Just be ore M, races concluded it was the Jai which was hung gad,,, natal,V J f its . ''ulmtbie !"' L,i ’/ and! the manor ’placed V'l'he * nils ol Bite police, and later letters "etc song to the Racing Club lei; JH'”.-- #iv received. The coat was ‘j v ‘ibuiaße one. Mr. Burt pavine- *'|a,, " ‘W cc • ve:lrs It was almost us goo,fas new. He contended there «as "exigence on the part of the <Tid> HortAßurt stated: 1 am plaintiff i„ l, 1 af tended (he races with Mr. aif Airs. Wylie. Mrs. Hollis and "tlters.g We reached the course at V " 'Hock ami left our coats Die dnffisuig room. being directed there - a " fcuknown man. The room was a " '"'bfeary drossUfgiyoom with nails Mr. There were ahem t wcmy-fersons.l'n the room when We for the attendam " h " was point#! out. She said !a " ,'oals would bejjuite alright. Mj— Myhe hung up tit# coats, and sin,we,i the attendant wltttv they were. My ‘-“■'it was put linker Mrs. Wvlie’s and ' v '' ! " ri lllr We returned to the '■"“til at I o'el|Vk, When Mrs. Welle s: “" "your eoj|t i- gone.'’ [ loo'keil t'hoat to see itfl could see anyone u ill, tin l <‘uaJ anil ffl.so told Mr. Burt of mv

•"S'. I said jib the at j emia lit that sinwa- responsible and she said site waTl >" v#‘l wa- a sea! one and in good order J'only the cull's heim> a little rubbi®. " r - -fftri-aili: The room wa- an ordinary dressing room. I did not notice ‘ ‘ elja krooni ’' above the door 'Hte/e wer| '" a .\' L " ;, s li ladies Vet iring room to ■o .Pi-l hats, ole. I hc|c was only one attendant, an old womin. She did not handle the coat. I h.4'e left mv coal o' o hei taee course rooms, (tn h* 1 got ’ill, t iekets. The '•oat was too heavy to ejtny. It did not strike me that it foolish act to leave a ,-oat there. '|hi- wa- mv (ir-t visit to Otaki race-. J h'o-e Wylie st-!t ted I am t ot A. A. Wylie. Solieit-jo-. of Wellington, ID"- reach ed the ,-ourie about a qiiar L't of an hour before the- rno<>. ( Here Ldlowed eurrolioral ive evide/m). Tim toom did not have ‘ ‘ cion I:-rjftim 1 ’ writup. I asked to lie addi/ssed to the -■’“li l - dressing-room. ft asked fho "''t"-' 1 " i» charge if jhifeoats would perfectly safe and slyfr said “yes.” I t hen hung up Airs. IJurt.’s coat amt Mtcn mine. I put A 1 rtfi Burt’s underuotith as her coat wak more valuable ’hail mi mv We .•'returned to Ihe Hon I: room before |he eonehi-ion of th" race-. Mv coat was there but Mrs. Dart - wa- missing.! 1 spoke to the a oman in charge and she said -he ‘‘"ubl not help it. Airs, -ffi.lli- and l ctayed a bout making enquirie- while Mrs. 1P,,! went to get Mr. Burt. When -br~. Burt ri turned the vvorimn wit- missing' from the room. We saw her come back bui -he went awav again, lo Mr. Mei'.rath: 1 asked for tho holies dl'e-.-iu" room ami it wa- nninf, a

0,1 * to ns. 1 had never boon to the Otnkj taros before, I asked the lady i? j charge it ir was the ladies' cloakroom. 1 thought the coat would bo safe tin* wornti’i s care. J* never outerrf! my head that someone might ' ! eal it.; I never asked for a ticket. for my coat. { thought the coats would be saf“ under ! !*.»• care. The wo* titan did not say '.re could hang up ouc eloaks at our own risk. I hung the *'*oat up on tlie opposite side of the room. to the door. I value my own coat I-hhel HmIU, ... . r

tin* jwirty and t-'ivp evidence on similar iun-> tti the previous tTitness. Her (•'tut. >hf' said, was valued at about £SO. Hl h* heard Mrs. Wy Ije say * 1 Where ’s vnnr c oat. Mr-. Hurt: its gone! ,; I'* Mr. M<M»rath: Anyone who liked youM han" a ‘-oas there. The woman 1 • * wa- iairly old; she us no firknowdedffnjont when we left our peats there. Vo Mr. Win n: The woman in charg'd as.-ured us the coats would be perfectly safe. / Ihoraas tfoss Burt slated: Jam /Managing'ree tor f n Wellington for A. and T. Bu rft. I attended the races, and about thejs'-vefith race -Mrs. Burt iriformed iiiff her coat had gone. 1 saw' Mr. Grifhti.s, -who assist- at Otaki. and he said sorry but could not do

anything. # then saw a policeman and gax’e detail. The attendant was there an d va s o ross -e xam i n ed. To Mr. McGrath: It was my fir- 1 visit u, thcM)taki. races. I carried my ‘‘-■oar with n| all the time. Mr. McOAth to witness: What’s the life of f^eoat? The »S.M.:§ It all depends on the fa Mi ion I St V> ir n ess, ti n uin g, said th o cost of a sim.i]ar§coat to-day would cost £J2O, perhapsf£loo retaiL Mr. McGr«h submitted plaintiti could not rectSrer damages. Thu* Club, { while regretting the loss, said it must | be admitted ®e ladies showed gross | negligence. T||p Club was aware of , ii- r»'Spon®ibilijU'. and had a prop* r i cloak-room or; phe ground which was a- r- r r thief-pmof as possible. Ir was ! t’rw only cloak -mom or. the course r-r. 3 had /< '*]oak-roog ,? printed there. A ticket was give|| in exchange for the coat, and it waa impossible for any person to get a Moat without a ticket. The attendant Sin the cloak-room would say there .Shad been no trouble in his quarters T *ijth coats. The Club had a ladies’ pressing-room which meant ladies’ retiring room. The room was only addressing*room, while ladies could relink*for adjusting hats, etc. The ladv in Ifcha rg* - - was there to look J-.(■ r the e: tif .vOx 1 v b.-- gro-vly unfair sft ih<: Club v.-as li"M liablff for .'toy artieft* th’-ro. Mr-x

Gbbiens. afrpn'lanr. vonh; -ay -H- hal ,-rjitfei ?h;,t -he nipt ro-pprisiblr; for oou-s. Tf 'ho Ueiie-s >:arl ut=r-r: orriit-"ry ’•a r" ' b] ha v- sr-er --- - - -- taking t: big ri-k. Tr.-fj r: g girl-.i-s.re v-irh r.hr- att'-n'l-ant. '•.- -I thc-y would dfjflaro- that Air-. C:I-'b:' - .-tub trier ":>f lea-,-.- 'the'- ’v o at their ov.ri rj- k. The Wellington Raring Club have a cloak-row:, and gave t:xkMr. McGrath then applied for a non- a uit. Trie >.Ar. reserved the non-r-git pnirtt. Owian J. D ’Ath. stetcH: T am «f-ere-t:.rof the Club, which providr-c ' i cioak-rar—: ?o r it,-- patrons. (Photo or ' cloak-room produced). Duplicate ticket? were printed and on-.-, half pinned to the r rthjle, the other half given to th-.- or er r of the c-, .. Tl"'-nev.-r left .Re room. We had to cr,“phi.r_t about the 3o::. of coitu freu'- th f room. '.A photo of th.-. drer-jir.g-roor.'. v a r also produced). AVi*-e---. cor.tlr.ning. ;-aid this rooss rv- open for aav worran to go lr, and raj a la-dies’ r»t:nr.g roort. Tc-'- atter.darr wa: there ”'5 look after the lavatories and to maintain order Drcti-.- T-iddettr- r*.Tt*>d‘ T ws- an after.far.- at the racer, and looked w’” the ladies’ vraitis r-goom, rrhich vtas

Iff m for any lady. I had nothing to 0 ,i(, with the "cloaks. U was told by the G 3 (_'i u b's secretary uolSlo have anything '%■ j {o do with them. I Muiiember the coat, i-, j iieintr lost- One lit*’ asked me it' I jf„ j ivol ,hl look after it tflid 1 said I would not l>e responsible Bind that if she fe jmQg it up she left p at her own risk. (C;1 1 never handled thofconts. Two girls „- Pri . with me on rheßlay in question. I v'M never said the coals uftuld be quite safe. Iff Tiw loss of the coat f-ns reported to me S 3 ;ind i said I could riot- help it. One ff-rf j.„iv said 1 was responsible for the loss. 11l To Mr. XlcGrath :| 1 never handled IBi jnv coat. S lean Maddoek: §1 urn Id years ot ‘ln i?t and was with 7|rs. Guldens at the :k;j viii,-s ' room. 1 heaad a lady ask Mrs. SfLidden, if she Col|tl hang her coal f 1,,, Mis. Guldens laid they could do fiS| f o at their own risM. S lmd Maddoek, nxutl Hi years, gave M similar evidence. | (S(j .Mr. XViren submitied that a servant la of the Club agreed take the coat and lii keep it in safety. He also held pf that the girls wer| not present •-viien 'ipfv p coats were left! lie coatetuled the |ffl . tub must be held'responsible for the fill coat. The ladies’ attention was not W drawn of the other cloak-room, and he. ||, submitted he was entitled to judge at. 8§ Judgment was reserved.