Gilpin observer., 1901-01-24
SOME COSTLY WORDS.
The British Nation Has Paid f2O,0O
For MPlace0 Among Others.

The British Nation Has Paid E20, 1000
For "Place" Among Others.
The word ''place," over which there
was deal of bother short time ago,
cost trifle over $4,000 letter. and it
may cost great deal more before it
becomes obsolete.
We all know that place is a
place. and no amount of fighting and
money spending can make it anything
else, but until recently to ask Judge
what was "place'' In the strict legal
sense was to court ones own ruin un-
less one had considerable fortune. The
meaning of the word has now, how
ever, been decided, though 1t is not
everybody who can understand exactly
what the decision Is. But any lawyer
Is now in position to define "place"
for you at Gs. Sd. a time after upward
of 100000 has been expended in OBJ
tanning real, solid, stable definition.
To the average landsman a ship is
Outward bound" when 1t has started
from its moorings on journey. But
many thousands of pounds have been
cpSht u ihS " SAtldNt iioih Jul iNai IL
ed judges an authoritative definition
of the expression.
The matter was discussed in the
admiralty court for six hours on end
not long ago. 1t was an insurance
case. and the policy of insurance only
covered the time between the vessel
being outward bound and homcward
bound" and the law was asked to de-
eide whether the ship was outward
bound" when an accident occurred. She
had left the docks ana was stcaming
down the river. She had her full crew,
all her passengers and all her cargo.
bcund?" No. she was not, for the
reason that she intended to stop some
distance down the river TO take in Il
little extra coal for her own consump-
tion. 70 be outward hound n vessel
must have no intention of stopping for
any purpose whatever until she reaches
her first port of call. If she does not
intend to make any such stop, she is
outward bound'' as soon as she has
swung herself out of dock and is sail
ing or steaming down river. She may
even be made to stop, but she must not
anticipate or iatend to stop. She is
only "outward bound" when she Is on
her actual journey and not on n pre-
liminary trip to pick mp passengers.
mails. cargo, Goals, water or anything
like that. Aud this decision. which
will last so long as it is uncon:csted,
has cost thousands of pounds to arrive
at.
II a will be made and some of the
words are erased. so that they cannot
be read without lens. are those words
apparent Such n question has oc-
Cured more than once, and the bills
for their decision have been very. very
long. In the case just mentioned the
words would not be apparent" the
ruling being that for words to be zap
parent" they must be readable without
the need of any artificial facilities.
The word accident" has bothered n
good many lawyers. and there is plenty
of life In 1t yet. If you were stung by
n bee and your denth resulted directly
from that sting. could your next of kin
obtain the amount Of your accident in
surance policy? Such n misfortune
hardly fits In with ones conception OF
an accident" yet how else could it
rank? 1t would be IN accident but
there must be no unusual stupidity en-
the part of the person stung for 1t to
rank so in law. If. for instance. the
person We're pulling the bee by the near
hind leg in such manner as to cause
it annoyance. so that 1t might reason
ably be expected to sting the person.
1t would not be an accident" What
1t would be is undecided. We can
only suggest suicide" for sudden
death from unnatural causes must he
either accidental, mUrderous or suici-
dal. and. rs n bee is not amenable to
British laws, it could not be murder.
When n man Is summoned before
court of justice. is he brought" before
the court? Some laws lay down that
for certain offenses persons must be
drought before court for trial. So,
II they are summoned, are the require
ments of the acts complied with? In
law they are, for the reason that II
summons signed by Justice Is sup
posed to compel person to appear as
ordered; hence he Is drought" by the
summons. 1t is small point. but 1t
cost f400 before it was finally settled.
London Answers.