CROWDED PICTURE HALL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10, 12 January 1914, Page 6

CROWDED PICTURE HALL.

A MAN V/HO HAD BOOKED SEATS.

An unusual claim was made at St. Helens County Court recently by John Floyd, of Proscot, who claimed 30s from the Prescot Picture /Palace Company. The plaintiff stated'that on August Bank Holiday he booked six seats for himself and friends at the Prescot Picture Hall, for which he paid 3s, but tvhen ho got to the hall lie found that the scats were occupied The amount claimed was for the return of the money and damages. Judge Shaud asked how he made up the 30s. The plaintiff’s explanation was that he was now claiming los for the seats and 15s for out-of-pocket expenses. When he found that there was no room in the hall for his friends lie took them down to Liverpool, and the expenditure there amounted to 15s, which he now claimed.

Mr Leonard Hughes, the managing director of the hall, asked the plaintiff if six other scats were not offered him, and if the money was offered to him, but ho refused to take it. The plaintiff said Unit scats were not offered, neither was any money, but tickets were offered for another night, which ho did not accept, because his friends were going away.

Mr Hughes: Did you send a letter demanding £5 compensation ?—-Yes, because I wanted to meet you somewhere. Do you consider the scats were worth 15s, which you have charged?—

It was the disappointment. How did you spend the 15s in Liverpool?—That is hard, to say. Mr Hughes: Did you spend it in publichouses ?—Yes. Do you want me to pay for drink? —Yes; it was through you that we went there. The defence was that' scats were offered to the party'other than those, which had been booked, but the plaintiff refused to take them, and bo also refused to accept tickets for another performance. The defendants had paid Ss into court, with 2s costs. His Honor gave judgment for plaintiff for 8s and 2s costs, saying that he could not recover purely sentimental damages. Mr Hughes made application for the expenses of himself and Ins manager in attending the court on two days, and the judge allowed him 22s expen-