The case of Kian Siao-yen v. A. Ellis was again before Mr. G. W. King, Registrar, in H. M. Supreme Court last Friday, defendant appearing on a judgement summons for $487.
In answer to Mr. Priestwood, who appeared for plaintiff, defendant denied that he had an insurance policy which matured on July 10. He adhered to his statement that he had paid all his money. over to his wife, but could not give the exact figures, since his wife had not forwarded his account books, Mrs, Ellis, who appeared on. subpoena, informed the Court that during the year she had received. $929 from defendant, and in the same period she had expended $1,922, including the cost of food and clothes, and a holiday, for Mr. Ellis.
The Registrar:—He had _no right to give you that money, He should have paid his debts first.
Witness:—If he had been in a boarding house, he would have had to have paid his board and lodging. I am entitled to be paid what I have spent for him. If he is in the house, I cannot allow him to starve.
Mr, Priestwood:—Husbands don't usually pay board "and lodging!
Witness:—They usually pay everything for the upkeep of the house.
Mr. Priestwood:—Do you think it fair you should have paid the cost of a holiday for your husband at the expense of this Chinese?
Witness:—The doctor ordered. him away because he was sick. I have nothing to do with this Chinese debt.
The Registrar:—Oh! yes, you have, quite a lot. You understood your husband's position, that he owed money to this Chinese.
Witness:—I did not know.
The Registrar:—Yes, you did know. You should not, then, have taken this money.
In answer to Mr. Priestwood, witness said she had never refused to allow her husband to pay the debt, nor had she told him not to pay it. 3 The Registrar:—Are you prepared to pay any of this money back?
Witness:—No. I do not owe plaintiff anything.
The Registrar:—Your husband has rendered himself liable to gaol.
Witness:—That is his fault, not mine.
Mr. Priestwood intimated that a friend of the defendant who was in court had undertaken responsibility, for the debt to the extent of $10 per month, and was prepared to sign a guarantee to that effect.
The judgement summons was accordingly adjourned sine die, with leave to apply.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.