BAFFLING A BAILIFF.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9059, 7 April 1908, Page 6

BAFFLING A BAILIFF.

ALLEGED THEFT OP A WARRANT. BY TELEOIUPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION , WELLINGTON, , April 6. The woman, Annie Barrie, charged with the theft of a distress warrant from a bailiff who was endeavouring to distrain on her goods, has been committed for trial. An unusual case, and one of importance, came before Mr W. G. Hiddell at the Wellington Stipendiary Magistrate's Court on Friday. Mrs Annie Barrie, a boarding-house-keeper, was charged with stealing a distress warrant issued against he>\ It appears that the assistant-bailiff (Buchanan Scott) went to execute the warrant and the woman snatched it from him, subsequently returning it to the solicitors representing the creditor concerned. Mr Wilford raised two points for the defence — first, that no value had been put on the warrant in the information, so that the defendant might say whether she would be tried by a jury or dealt with summarily. Second, that Scott was not entitled to serve the warrant, and his presence on Mrs Barrie's premises amounted to a trespass. Indeed, the defendant could legally have thrown him off the premises. The chief bailiff had no right to delegate his authority except under special conditions. His Worship .ruled against Mr Wilford on the first point. He agreed with counsel's second contention, and promised to decide by Monday whether he would dismiss the case or send defendant to the Supreme Court for trial. For Children's Hacking Cough at night Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. 1/6 *nd 2/6.