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FOR .WOMEN FOLK.

Passing Pleasantries.I

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[BY PECIAL AXRAXOEMENT—COPTRIGHT.]…

j MISCELLANEOUS. I !- I

ATHLETE "RUN-DOWN"I

I MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE.I

PLEASURE YACHT WRECKED

EX - MINISTER'S SECRETARYI…

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BATHING FATALITIES

WATER POLO. I

BOXING CONTESTS._I

BOWLS. I

PIGEON RACING AT PONTYPOOL.

VIOLENT PASSENGER AT BRIDGEND

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EDUCATION REVOL T.1

SOUTH WALES GOLF. I

FOOTBALL. I

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IA WOMAN'S LOANS.1

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A WOMAN'S LOANS. SINGULAR CASE HEARD AT THE ASSIZES. At the Glamorgan Assizes at Swansea on Monday an action for detinue was brought by Mrs. Florence Maria Saunders, wife of Richard Saunders, of Ystalyfera, against William Burchell Rees and Laura Swash. Mr. Abel Thomas, K.C., M.P., and Mr. Meagor (instructed by Messrs. Randell and Saundersi were for plaintiff, and Mr. S. T. Evans, K.C, M.P., and Mr. R. Vaughan Williams instructed by Messrs. Moeran and Words- worth) for the defeuce. The action was for the return of certain deeds and documents or their value, and an injunction restraining the defendant Rees from further using them, and the statement of claim set out that prior to January 10, 1896, the plaintiff (then Florence Maria Swash) at various dates advanced to the defendant Rees sums of money amounting to £ 1,000, and that on the dates mentioned defendant Rees executed a mortgage to the plaintiff of certain leasehold properties situate at Ystalyfera and at Bryn- aman to secure the re-payment and inte- rest at 5 per cent. per annum, Rees also handing plaintiff the deeds and documents of title relating to various properties. In February, 1896, plaintiff, at the request of Roes, handed the deeds and documents (f title, as well as the mortgage, to Messrs. R. and C. B. Jenkins, solicitors, of Swansea, and on the 20th of the same month she, at the request of Rees, joined with him in a mortgage of the same properties to Messrs. n. and C. B. Jenkins to secure the repayment of a sum of L56 and interest at 5 per cent. then advanced by them to Rees, the title deeds and documents remaining in the possession of the solicitors. On or about January 4, 1897, the defendant Rees, it was alleged by plain- tiff, without her knowledge or consent, paid to Messrs. R. and C. B. Jenkins the £56 and interest, and obtained from them all the deeds and documents that had been handed them by the plaintiff. It was not till January of this year that plaintiff obtained knowledge of this, and she thereupon demanded the return of the deeds from Rees, who refused to deliver them up. Recs by affi- davit in the action dated April 12, 1904, alleged that the deeds, other than the mortgage of January 10, 1896, were by him deposited with the defendant, Swash, in January, 1897, to secure to her re-payment of moneys lent and moneys he had agreed to secure to her, and that he believed the same were still with her. The defendant Swash, according to plaintiff's case, was aware of the mortgage of 1896, and that the amount secured remained unpaid, and had not lent Rees any money, and did not hold the deeds and documents as security as alleged, but at the request of Rees made an attempt to assist him in defeating the plaintiff's claim. The £ 1.000 and interest still remained unpaid, and besides the return of the documents plaintiff claimed £100 damages for their detention and the injunction referred to. Mr. Abel Thomas, in the course of his open- ing statement, said that bit by bit plaintiff lent money to Rees, or paid for things for defendants, and promissory notes accu- mulated to a very large amount. Meanwhile, in 1893, Rees had several shots at getting coal from various levels, and the Ynystawlla Col- liery, Brynaman, which was one of them, I turned out to be a success. At first, how- ever, there was a great deal of money becoming due to colliers, and plaintiff i advanced Rees considerable sums, and in 1896 the mortgage deed was executed in con- sideration of the plaintiff returning the pro- missory notes. The defence set up was, pro- ceeded counsel, as revealed by the affidavits of the illegitimate children of either plain- tiff or her sister, that plaintiff went down to the colliery, and got Edgar Rees to write out what he called a bill of sale upon the whole of the property, and that she said if this was not done in that way the creditors would come down upon the defendant Rees, seize the colliery, and all the work would be stopped. His own illegitimate son, bearing his own name, made an affidavit swearing that the plaintiff came to them down to the col- liery, and that he copied out a bill of sale for ClOO in favour of herself and another sister. The real question his lordship would have to try was whether the moneys were not advanced by the plaintiff. That the mortgage was made there could be no doubt. There was a, further allegation in the affida;vit that the £ 100 had been altered to £1.000, and the court would be told that plaintiff came down from Shields, where she was then living, to South Wales with something like terror in her heart. because of the crime she ha.d com- mitted over the alleged bill of sale, and got her son to go to the defendant Reee and ask for the return of the mortgage in order that she might destroy it, lest someone should get hold of it. His lordship would have to decide that extraordinary part of the case. The Judge: What was the crime? Fraud? Mr. Abel Thomas: Much further than that, because there is an allegation of forging I Ree3's name to the alleged bill of sale. Pro- ceeding, counsel, to illustrate the kind of man the defendant Rees was, said that when served with the writ he struck the solicitor's clerk with his fist. Then, he said, com- menced those astounding affidavits which his lordship would find came flooding in from the illegitimate children and from Rees him- self denying practically all that plaintiff ha-d said. Counsel concluded by submitting that the defence was a wretched and abominable one, got up by perjury and forgery, and that plaintiff was entitled to succeed on the docu- ments. Plaintiff was called, and said when she went in 1875 to live with Rees and her sister she did not know then that the two were not married, as her sister was called Mrs. Rees. In cross-examination, she said she married about three years ago. She admitted she got into monetary difficulties, and, asked why if she thought the deeds of the property were hers she did not then apply for them, she replied "Because Mr. Rees had threatened my life. He had eaid that if I came back he would blow my brains out." Counsel put a letter to plaintiff in which she said, "For God's sake eend me £ 7 by return of post or by wire. I have no boots on my feet," but she still denied that at that time she had not a penny in the world.. After the hearing of evidence, Mr. Vaughan Williams called Dr. James Lewis, of Ystalyfera, who said plaintiff came to see him for medical advioe. She told him she was a little distressed because she had signed a document for Mr. Rees and was too ill too know what it contained. Plaintiff was t not in any way delirious or mentally c David Davies, a next-door neighbour to plaintiff, said on Mav 1 plaintiff told him to fetch Rees, as she wanted to tell him she was very sorry for what she had done and she forgave him all. Subsequently Rees came, and they were all merry because everything was made up. He understood it had been agreed that the present action should stop. He subsequently saw a document being written by several witnesses. Mrs. Saunders signed it, and said, "I euppoee its all right." He did not hear what was in it. Similar evidence having been given by other witnesses, the further hearing was adjourned till to-day (Tuesday).

OXFORD HIGHEK LOCAL I EXAMINATION.

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YESTERDAY'S MATCHES. I

IYORKSHIRE v. ESSEX.I

WORCESTERSHIRE v. KENT I

DERBYSHIRE v. SOUTH AFRICANS…

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SUCCESS OF ENGLISHMEN IN SWIMMING'

SAUNDERSFOOT.

(CAMBRIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL IASSOCIATION.

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