The sun., 1873-05-23
A Lawsuit n. TO the Price Of Ladies' Riding
Habits.

unless he puts ON the break.
Lawsuit US TO the Price Of Ladies' Riding
Habits.
4 person named Catharine Walters, alias
Mrs. Bchrens, and popularly nicknamed " sltit-
Ties" has just had a lawsuit in London with her
tallors. Messrs. Creed n Evans. tailors and rid
ing habit makers In Conduit street. London.
sued the fair lady early in May in TIE Court Of
Common Pleas. The action was brought to re-
cover the balance OF an account for dresses and
habits supplied and the amount claimed was
ESP The defence was that the charges were
exorbitant; and the defendant paid fao into
court, which she maintained was the full value
Of the articles received.
Miss Walters frat called upon Mr. Creed In
July, 1872, when she represented herself as be-
ing very fastidious and very particular. At the
time she was dressed In great taste, and said she
had been employing Mr.. worth Of Paris TO make
her dresses She said she had dealt with Mr.
Poole for years and had made his fortune in
making riding habits, but that not being able to
get what she wanted she had come to MIR. Creed.
lie told her that their prices for riding habits
were from eleven guineas to fourteen guineas.
He offered her fifteen per cent. discount for cash.
After this from time TO time. she ordered goods
in which numerous alterations were made. Mr..
Greed said the alterations arose from mere
caprice ON the part of Miss Walters and that
she often kept his foreman waiting for hours
before she saw him at Browns Hotel in Dover
street, where she then resided that their prices
were much higher than mlllners would charge
for the same work but this wa- due to their
work being hand work. instead of being done
10y machine and from men being employed III
Tie distinguished barrlster Mr. Sergeant Bal
lantine. appeared for Skttles and conducted the
case with his usual ability.
Several talors testified that the prices charged
were far and reasonable. The most expensive
article was brown SaNony cloth costume,
tunic jacket and skirt, trimmed with seal skin
and fringe, for about slg5 in gold. but Mr.. Creed
said that the actual cost OF this costume was
about $ljs, and when the ID per cent. allowance
was deducted from the price charged the profit
was small. A black riding habit with silk lining
was CHARGED at SGS.
MIR Poolcs cashier. however. testified that the
riding habits were not charged AT fair price.
That he could furnish a better article than the
would be from ~ to p per cent.
Three dtessmakers also gave their evidence
SiXony costume like that for which Sl'6 was
charged for $l2j. and that most Of the articles
could be furnished for less than half the prices
Miss Walters had given the plaintiffs notice TO
produce a model uf herself In court, but this
thcy failed to do. She said she could get the
dresses on. but that they hurt her. That the
articles were ~ Infamous quality, That Mr..
de i-hted when he knew who she was. That
she ina paid MIR Worth as nuch A. 500 for a
dress, but then there was Lace on h.
Mr. Justice Brett left h 10 the jury as business
men, to say to which side their opinion Inclined.
tanned the drtails of the cost OF each article and
retired; but they declined To- take the garment .
with them into their private room, "a suggested
10y Miss Nalters's counsel In half an hour the
jury came into court and announced that they
had found for the plaintiffs for ElpJ, In addition
t. the EAn pad into court.
A few days afterward Sergt. Ballantne moved
before the Justices Of the Common Pleas sitting
trial should not be had on the ground that the
verdict was AGAINST the weight Of evidence. lie
went into the details of the case and said II had
been proved that the value Of the articles was
iumctsurahly below the prices charged that
the jury should have examined the articles, but
thcN refused to take them with them when they
retired the habits were charged for ~ per cent.
more than Mr. Poole would nave charged ac-
Cu,dinE to Mr.. foulc's foreman. He had now
perfectly well acquainted with machine work.
and thcy sworc the greater part OF the articles
supplied were machine nude.
Lord chief Justice BOWL have had a great
dead to do with sewing machines, ard should
say machine work for very many purposes Is
better than hand work.
MIR. Sergeant Ballantne-Dut your lordshlp
represented patentee
The Lord Chief Justice c-Nou have an Impair
tial tribunal, because INV brutner Grove and |
were for several years upon different sides in
! those cases.
Mr.. Justice Brett. who had tried the case, was
/ on the bench, and kept suggesting objections to
new trial, so that II appears very much like AN
argument between him and Sergeant la Ian
/ tine: The Lord Chief Justice said that Mr. VOL
merhailseh was Just aS famous Tor making
/ riding habits as Mr. Creed. and according 10 the
evidence Of Mr.. NOlmcrhausen's foreman he
would furnish the same riding habit nearly hftl
! per cent less than Mr.. Creed charged aud that
! Mr. Nulmerhauscn had never been distinguished
] for low prices.
Sergeant Ballantne directed blue serge cap,
/ for which Silju had been charged, to be handed
! up to the Chief Justice.
! The Lord Chief Justice examining it)-It Il
! only a sort Of common blue serge, God bles,
| mel daughter.
After consulting the other Judges, Chief Jus
| ticu BOWL said that there WAS no ground for in
] terferlng with the verdict upon the ground thai
| the jury should have looked at the articles fu
/ themselves; hut that the motion should b,
| granted upon the ground that the verdict wa
! against the weight Of evidence.
| The motion Was accordingly granted, and IL
the new trial probably Miss Walters Will com,
OF triumphant,