NEIGHBORS DISAGREE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 269, 23 April 1915, Page 3

NEIGHBORS DISAGREE.

SOME WORDS OVER THE GATE. • Tl'.c" was .a hint of a moral about » [•as*! ~.iicli was heard in the New Plymouth MaglatEate's Court yesterday for tiie evidence suggested that it was good advice to always keep friendly with people from whom you borrow money. Mrs. Ivy Clarke, who lives with her husband, Frederick C. 'Clarke, in Cover street, declared that some time ago she lent £5 to the wife oT Henry Johnson, also a resident of Cover street, anil since then Mrs. Johnson has not been on calling terms with her. Mrs. Clarke believes that if she is good enough to borrow money from she is good enough to be called' on, and consequently she sought an opportunity to have a word with Johnson on the matter. The chance came a few evenings ago, when Clarke met Johnson at Clarke's gate and invited him in. Clarke declared that Johnson refused the invitation, and replied by using insulting language towards Clarke. The sequel was a charge by Clarke against Johnson of using insulting language, and the case was heard by Messrs J. S. S. Medley and F. J. Eustace, J.P.'s. . Miv Austin Bewley appeared for Clarke. Frederick Charles Clarke, a laborer, residing in Gover street, told the Court that on the evening of April 10 lie was standing at his gate when Johnson came up. Clarke told Johnson that Mrs. Clarke wished to see him, but Johnson declined the invitation, and, assuming a threatening attitude, Johnson used insulting language and invited witness to fight in the street.

'Cross-examined by p]aintiff, v <witncss said that there were women at the back door of his house and were within hearing. Alice Reed, Edith Low and Mary Clarke, who were in the neighborhood, said had heard tUU language used by Johnson. They did not see Johnson, hut' they all recognised his voice. In answer to defendant, one witness said she recoginsed him by his voice before she saw him. She could hear him coming long before h* reached the gate of Clarke's house.

Ivy Clarke, wife of the plaintiff, described what she heard said between the two men at the gate. Witness recognised Johnson's voice, and in addition to that there is a lamp at the gate which, witness said, "shone that night and lit up the scene at the gate." Asked by the Bench for a motive for Johnson's •action, witnes said: "Before I was married I lent Johnson some money. Johnson's -wife used to come into New Plymouth and used to visit a neighbor of mine, but she used to shun me completely. I, didn't want her but I thought if I was good enough to lend her money I was good enough for her to call on. It was on this matter which Y •wanted to speak to Johnson, and my husband was simply asking Johnson in when he was abused by Johnson." The defendant, Henry Johnson, then went into the box and denied that he had used the language complained of. He •was asked by Clarke to go in to his house, hut he replied that he did not want to have anything to do with him, and he merely called Clarke a waster. Nothing else was said. He denied borrowing £5 from Clarke, adding that he had never borrowed a penny in his life. Witness then left the subject of the case for a moment and provided the Court with a somewhat entertaining description of his friend Clarke, who* was what was known as a "half-way bookmaker." Corroborative evidance was given. The Justices decided that the evidence was too conflicting to enable them to ■come to a decision, and the case was dis- . missed. No costs were allowed.