LOVED AND LOST GIRL. AND GOLD WATCH

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 118, 9 August 1927, Page 15

LOVED AND LOST GIRL. AND GOLD WATCH

A DISGRUNTLED CAVALIER AMUSING CASE IN COURT “Here I have a middle-aged man of 50 who has been paying attentions to a little girl of 24, and he gives her a gold watch. He comes here and tells me he bought it for his niece, to whom he has never previously given a present, and at the same time declares he merely lent the watch to the defendant.” So said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court this afternoon in summing up a highly amusing case in which George Barker, a disgruntled cavalier of “45 or 50 years or thereabouts,” who had loved and lost Anv Webb, 26 years, or somewhere near it, his junior, wanted back the gold wristlet watch he had given her (though he denied it) when love’s middle-aged dream had promised a fixture of bliss. Mr. Alan Moody, who assisted Amy to retain the watch, told the sad story of George’s wooing and losing, which in effect was on this wise: About the end of last February Barker, who was on the friendliest terms with Miss Webb, bought the watch and gave it to her for her very own and the course of true love ran smoothly. One evening Miss Webb invited her worshipper to spend a pleasant evening at her home. The extatic George duly arrived but instead of being received with loving embraces as he was heretofore accustomed he was greeted with chilly indifference. George soon discovered the reason—there was another man in the case. To make a long story short the chagrined Barker asked for his present back and as it was not forthcoming he brought a policeman along “for a witness.” Much afraid, the girl wrote promising to return the watch, but on second thoughts did not do so. Cross-examined by Mr. Moody, Barker admitted he was as old as he looked. “How old are you?” “About 40.” “Are you sure it isn’t 50?” persisted counsel. “It may be, but I don’t know when my birthday is.” “Was there any serious love-making between you?” “Of course there was,” interjected Mr. Hunt. “Well, he doesn’t look like it,” was Mr. Moody’s comment. WOULD ONLY HAUNT HER A woman friend of the plaintiff was both positive and voluble in her assertion that Miss Webb h= d nromised to return the watch. _

She illustrated with a fine flow of sarcastic mimicry Miss Webb’s alleged utterance: “Oh, yes, I know the watch is only a present for the niece and if I keep it, it will only haunt me.” Cross-examining the lady, Mr. Moody fired questions at her in quick succession. “Pardon me, you are very rude,” she complained. “Oh, no, I am only trying to shorten the proceedings,” Mr. Moody reassured her. “Are you married?” he went on. “No, I’m single,” very quickly. “Living in hopes, I suppose.” was the quick rejoinder. “He is very rude, sir.” appealing to the Bench. The case concluded after Miss Webb had given evidence as the next witness. Mr. Hunt decreed that the girl should retain the watch.