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- THE EVANS* LITIGATION.

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THE EVANS* LITIGATION. RESUMED HEARING. STRONG REMARKS BY THE JUDGE.-SIGNIFICENT JUDGMENT. His Honour Judge Sir Horatio Lloyd eat specially at the Town Hall, Rhyl, on Saturday, to resume the bearing of the action in which Mr John D. Evans, sued his fatter Mr John Arthur Evans, "for the recovery of the bum of £is 9s. 4d. lor services rendered as clerk to his father, and as Manager of the North Wales Publicity Association, of which defendant was the proprietor, and also a claim by Mr John Arthur Evans against bis son for jE49 various monies leaeived by him for which credit was not given. Mr F. J. Gamlin, was for the plaintiff, and Mr Madden (instructed ty Mr D. Raiclitie), for the defendant Mr Madden said that since the hst hearing an -enort hnd been made to come to a settlement. On the previous day they wrote to the plaintiff the letter which he handed to His Honour. The Judge (after reading the letter). The weather is improving (laughter). Mr Madden said it happily was. He thought His Honour might interfere now with good effect, lie bad already kindly done so on a previous oecaeion. The Judge: I think the whole thing is most lamentable. In the whole course of mv experience, which is not a short one, I have not heard a case which has distressed me so much as to see father and son entering into sordid litigation ^about money matters, and raking up each others past life in order to discredit each othsr. It is shocking, and I cannot understand either father or son doing Mr Madden Your Honour will see that the father is the defendant, and we cannot help it. The Judge: I can do nothing more, I have ex- pressed myself as ttrongly as I possibly could. Mr Gamlin: I have made a suggestion for a -settlement, but the defendant will make no con- cession. The Judge: The suggestion made is that both claims should be withdrawn. Mr Gamlin: We Ciaim £ 78 and they claim £ 49. I make this suggestion, that I will take the difference between the amount of the defendant's claim and mine. I will go beyond that, and will take-S25 to settle it. The Judge: Would it facilitate matters if no judgment was given in the matter, but a present made, both cases being withdrawn. It might make matters more pleasant for the future Mr Gamlin: Yes, and we would get the money instead of the Official Receiver. After some consultation between the parties, it was decided that the case should go on, the Judge remarking that if it was not finished that day he J should not take it on an ordinary court day to tbe detriment of other court business. It would have to wait until some convenient day either this or next yeH. Mr Madden resumed his cross-examination of the plaintiff, who said that during the time he was in his father's employ at 30d. a week, he gave his whole time to the business. The Judge: And wetue now giving the vihole of our time to it (laughter). Witness continuing said in September 1896, he was trying to negotiate the sale of the Pier and Pavilion to a Chester gentleman. That was bis -father's business, and he had letters from his father vhich would bear out that statement. He had sought a purchaser on behalf of the firm for lands at Foryd. H& had never in all his life bad any transactions in stocks and shares, either on behalf of himself or his father-in-law. He ad- apted he bad tried to sell tome land on behalf of btS father-in-law. He had been very good to him, ind naturally he would do anything ne could iu return. The letter pio:3ueed by Mr Madden was a private letter from his father-in ltw to witness, and it showed the nature of the defendant to use it. He was the local correspondent for the "Era," and attended the various places of amusement. That was the means of bunging a lot of business to the office, 88 the theatrical people brought their bill-posting to them. During the time he was in his father's employ, he went once for a few days to the Isle of Man. He went without his father's consent, but he knew about it because bis fourth wife was at home at the time. At the time he obtained the £50 rent from Mr Copplcstone, lie had an account at the London & Provincial Bank. That money was paid into his account at the London & Previnciul Bank, because his father's account at the South Wales Bank was not in a healthy state, and if this money had been paid in it would have been swallowed up. He looked at his father's pass book produced it showed a balance of £383 against his father at the end of December 1895. The £590 which be (witness) got in August, had not teen paid to the credit of that account. Mr Madden And if that money had been paid into the bank, your father would have had a balance at the end of the year P-Yes if the money was paid into the bank, but it was wanted to pay- off a mortgage. Mr Madden Look again at his private account. Jt shows a balance of £111 against him?—Yes. So he still would have bad a slight balance if the cheque was paid into the bank except for the reason you say ?—Yes quite so. And if the overdraft was cleared off he could have overdrawa again to the extent of £500 ?—No. Wh; ?—I don't want to ge into any private details affecting my father. r don't want to throw any reflections upon him. What was the mortgage?—It was a mortgage to the Provident Association for £700, for which I was joint security. Re-examined by Mr Gamlin: Witness paid the JE-590 into his own account by arrangement with his father and with his consent. His father had been credited with j6150 of that cheque, and it appeared m the pass book on September 9th. He drew a cheque for that amount on the London & Provincial Bank, and paid it into bis father's account ia the North & South Wales Bank. The Judge: What was the exact position of your father's account in August 1895?—It was overdrawn to the extent of JE614 on August 29th. The plaintiff was then examined as to the various items in the counter-claim made against him by his father saying that the first that he ever heard -of them was when he brought that claim. Mr Madden then called the defendant Mr John Arthur Evans, who said that trom May 1895, to December 1895, plaintiff was in business on bis own account at Station Chambers, trading as Thomas Evans & Co. He then undertook to manage the bill-posting business for him without remuneration in consideration of his being allowed the use of the posting stations free of charga or the purpose of advertising his steamship agencies. *rom the 1st of January 1896, up to the time o e p aintiff's bankruptcy in June, the same arrangement was coined Then for a time businets was suspended, and in order to give him a chance to Start again in lífe, he (witness), pur- chased from the Oiffcial Receiver, all the furniture and effects at Station Chambers, and told his son that he was prepared to allow him 15s. a week towards his support, and whatever he could do above that was to be his own. That be aid a8 a sort of encouragement for him. He admitted that he was entitled according to that arrdngement to 15s. a week for 55 weeks. When he (witness) left for London in 1896, after making this arrangement with his sou, he asked him to send a weekly state- ment of receipts and expenditure. But ha never ssaw a statement of any kind until he came down at Christmas. He had never heard of the 15s. a week claimed by the plaintiff as manager of the bill-posting business, until he received the demand from Mr Gamlin. He was very anxious to obtain proper statements of how matters stood, as his son having landed himself into trouble with his own affairs, be desired information as to everything that was going on in the office. He was practically entirely away from the office between May and r December. When he came down in December, he asked his son for the cash book, and the reply he .got was that it was not quite written up. He went b,ack to London, and repeatedly wrote to the plain- tin for statements, but failed to get any. He, however, saw a copy of the cash book when he came down in March 1897, when just as he was leavmg Rhy defendant brought him the cash book, .and e oo it with him to London. As plaintiff con- tinua y ai ed to supply him with satisfactory statements he wrote to him on the 4th of August 1897, tellIng han he had better clear from the office, ana in a subsequent letter told him that his .conduct and anguage had become intolerable. He had caus ua a clear loss in his bankruptcy of £ 2,000, an requested him not to enter the office again- Q the 9th of August witness entered into possession of the office when he found that his son bad removed tho cash books, letter books, and everything which he thought would be of assistance to him. Dn one occasion when he to the office be noticed that the lock of the passage door had been forced. That door was usually locked from the inside and the key left in the door inside, because they always used the front door. The lock was forced from the passage. On entering tbe office he found his so there taking down some cardboard boxes in Which his letter. were kept. He told him that be was acting outrageously, and asked him to sit down and behave in a reasonable way. His sou said If you WILL do BO and so, I will do so and so." Witness replied "First of all you must obey me your father, and obey me as your employer, W hen you do that I will treat you properly," His son took all the books away, and they came back in in- stalments from three solicitors in Rhyl, one after the other Although his son left him in August, he was willing to pay him the 15s. a week to the 17tb of September, allowing him the extra weeks in lieu of notice. Some time in August he had some coi respondence with his son in regard to the income tax returns. On the 27th of March, he wrote to him telling him that he wanted a true and correct balance sheet from the 1st of January to the 31st of December, charging 30s. a week for his (plaintiff's) services from the resumption of business in August to December 31st and 15s. a week previous to them. His explanation of the log. a week "previous" was that he considered that the plaintiff was receiving what was equal to 15s. per week, by the use be got of the bill-posting station, and he was entitled to credit for that in the income tax returns. The witness gave instances of work done by the plaintiff on his own account. The intention was that bis son should bring as much business as possible into the office; anytbiug in fact that he liked, and if everything had gone on all right, he should probably have made him a present of the whole thing. He had a free hand to do what he liked. He told him he would give him 15s. a week for anything he would be required to do on his behalf, and he was at liberty to do any- thing he liked above that. The witness was then taken through the several items in his own claim, remarking that in addition to the claim of £ 49 15s. the sum of £20 tippeared in the books to eave been received by the plaintiff over and above that amount- He had reduced his claim to 249 158., so as to bring it within the jurisdiction of the court. He accounted for his son's neglect of his business to the fact that his mind was so nnhinged by his bankruptcy, that he was totally unable to attend to anybody s' business. Cross-examined by Mr Gamlin: You say you wanted your eon to put only actual facts in your income tax returns?-Yes. But they were not actual facts that you put in the income tax returns that your son got 15s. a week for managing the bill-posting business ?-Yes in value, net ia wages. You at one time had a very high opinion of your son F-Yeti. Did you in April 1891, write this letter to Mr Edward Davies, Llandinam ?—Mr Gamlin then read the letter which was a highly eulogistic testimonial in favour of his son, and recommending him for the engagement as private secretary. That, added Mr Gamlin, was a good character to give a son was it not ?-Yes, any son should be proud of a character like that. Would you endorse that on the 17th of September last P -Certainly not. Would you endorse it on the 4th of August last ? -No. When did your high opinion of your son desert you ?-It has been waning gradually on account of the knowledge that came to me through his public examination in bankruptcy. My con- fidence in him, in fact has not been very strong for the last eighteen months, and I wanted to hold a tight rein on him so that he would not cause me any more trouble. What had he to live on with the exception of his wages as your Clerk ?-I don't know, having supported him for 30 years I consider he was old enough Rud wise enough to find someone else to carry him on his shoulder. I gave him 15s. a week, and the free-use of the office to transact his business. Witness continuing said that when he made this arrangement with his son he did not expect there would be any profit from the business as people would fight shy of an undischarged bankrupt. You were prepared to pay him 15s. a week for carrying on a loo-ing conoern P-I was not bound to him for any length of time I could drop him as soon as I winhed. You produced a letter from me to your son in which I offered him £ 25 if he could sell some land for me. How did you come by that letter ?—I found it in my own office. Yes, and you found some of his wife's love letters there, and your wife has been showing them about all over the town ever since. Mr Madden No personalities please. Mr Gamlin You have indulged in plenty. Mr Madden But I thought we were trying to impiove to-day. Mr Gamlin I will not pursue that matter any further. That letter was written by me to Mr J. T. D. Evans, as your representative for I knew he was acting as your manager and clerk at that time. Mr Madden: Is Mr Gamlin giving evidence ? The Defendant: I have the letter in my hands, and it is addressed, Mr J. T. D. Evans, libyl. To your office ?-Yes. And he had no private room in your office to carty on any business of his own ?-The office was mine every room in it was mine. And if that £2.5 had been earned you would have pocketed it?—No. Here is another matter where he was acting for himself-produciog a note. Mr Gamlin Hand it to me (reading it) :—You have been dishonest enough to keep this private note of mine to ivans. There is no reason why it should not bo read. Mr Gamlin read the note, in which htspromieei to make she plaintiff a present if he got him the business mentioned in it, and having done so ha remarked. I think we are entitled to these; you hav& no right to them, so I will keep them. Mr Madden You will do nothing of the kind give them to me please. Mr Gacnliu I will not; they are ours, and having obtained possession of them I mean to keep tbem. The Judge: Hand them to me; I will take care of them. Mr Madden The idea these acts of piracy in a public court (laughter). Referring to the incident of the cheque for £ 591, which pl&ntiff paid into hie own account at tho Pro- vincial Bank, Mr Gamlin asked: In March, 1895, did you borrow £300, from Mr A. 0 Evans, a solicitor ? Witness: It was a joint bill. He acted as joint security for a consideration, the money coming from the bank. He gave him a second mortgage on his Herald property at Carnarvon. Mr Gamlin In September of the same year did you borrow L700, from the Provident Company ? Yes. And did you give them another mortgage on the Herald property ? Yes. And did you disclose to them that you obtained that money upon a property upon which there wa already a second mortgage ? I told them there was a charge upon the property, and their solicitors arranged every thing. Did you tell what the amount of charge was? I told them everything. Did Mr Evans discover subesquently that you had obtained the last mortgage, and was it not in consequerice of his demanding payment of the JE300 that you got your son to pay the sum out of the X500, cheque ? The whole thing was nettled at the same time. Mr Evans was paid at the same time I received this amont in London. Did your son not tell you that if he had placed the chequo int3 your account at the North and South Wales Bank it would have been swamped, because it was badly overdrawn P-I only owed the bank £ 400. Mr Gamlin: Nonsense; your passbook shows it was over L617. Witness But I had a limit of zC,500, eo I was not .ar off the m'srk. Re-examined by Mr Madden And if that money was paid in, you would have had that limit again ? —Yes. And Y,220 you gave him in addition to that which he has not disputed ?—Yes Mr Gamlin: You know the services this young ruan rendered to you. You heard him swear in the box, thut very often he worked from early morning till late at night. Do you consider that 30s. on the principle of quantum meruit is a fair or an excessive charge a a quantum meruit I do. A gentleman who was in my office for four years was paid at the rate cf 2o3. « week. 3 *rom ^6 plaintiff to his father m Whtch the mentioned that his father- in-law had offered him 25Sa week the yard.—Witness admitted having written across J that letter that 25s. a week were only the wages of a MrFwd Wallis, Auctioneer and Accountant, said he had been through SIX books purporting to be Msl: books with the view of trying to ascertain a balance if possible. There Were several books covering the same time and some did not appear to have been written upon the date tney purported to have been written,and there were SRveral errasures and alterations in different places. The cash book purporting to commence on June 20th 1896, was dated 1837. It was not often that a mistake of a year was made so late as June. Another book datea November 26th was all written at the same bIDe, showing clearly to his mind that the book for some purpose or the other was written up afterwards. The whole of the cash books were full of alterations from beginning to end. They were not kept in either a regular or a creditable way, and were little better than scribbling books. ael, had gone carefully through the books to ascertain what money Mr Evans (the plaintiff) had drawn. From the 20th of Juae 1896 to the 7th of Juno 1897, he appeared to have received either in the name of himself or Mrs Evans the sum of S87 12s. 10d. under the heads of wages or allowances. On the ot-jer side appeared items said to have been received from Mrs Evans, presumably Mrs Thomas Evans, amounting to 120 17s. 511. If that money was deducted out of the amount received by the plaintiff, it left a balance of 966 15s. 4i:1. received by him during that period. Cross-examined: The entries of payments to Mr Thomas did not appear in more than one cash book on the same date. The plaintiff re-called to explain the evidence of Mr Wallis, said that on the 29th of February, 1896, his father took the cash book to London, and tore out the leaves, and asked him to re-write the book. He totally disregarded that cash book altogether, and re-wrote another. That accounter for the fact of the cash book being written at the same time and bearing a different date. This was all the evidence and Mr Madden addressed His Honour on behalf of the defendant. He con- tended that the defendant's explanation of the letter of the 27th ot March was the proper one. It un- doubtedly was for the purpose of the income tax returns, for it was well known that a good many honest people tried to make their expenditure as large as possible when making their income tax returns (laughter). He also contended that Mr Wallis had clearly proved that Mr Evans had received the sum of f66 on account of wages, and they were entitled to that in addition to the amount of the claim which they made against the plaintiff. Mr Gamlin in reply siid he knew Mr Wallis to be a most careful and correct accountant, and he was quite p-repared to accept his figures as to the amount received by the pkiutiff. But even assuming that those figures were established they were still entitled to judgment for JE40 9s. 8d. on the claim. The Judge said it was absolutely impossible to come to a satisfactory conclusion with reference to the action. He need not say it was a most painful thing that he had to decide that action. He re- gretted very much that the parties had not settled it themselves. An offer of settlement had been made which in the end he did not think would be very far from the mark. He preferred to deal with the case on the quontum meruit principle, and he would allow plaintiff his claim, deducting what he had receivtd. He would, therefore, give judgment for tL e pl-intiff on the claim for £ 40 9s Sd. He also thought that Mr John Arthur Evans (the defendant) bad established his claim for a similar amount, and he gave judgment on the counter claim for 910 9s 8d, but he would not allow a farthing costs to any- body.

RHYL COUNTY COURT.

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FOOTBALL GOSSIP. -

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