Limerick, Ireland – Laughter echoed through the halls of the Limerick Quarter Sessions as an amusing case unfolded before Judge Adams. The dispute, involving a mere £1 washing bill and a supposedly vanishing dress shirt valued at a mere 6d, left the courtroom in stitches. Mrs Hewson and Mr H.L. Gildea were the central characters in this light-hearted legal drama, with Mr Doda representing the plaintiff and Mr J.P. E. O’Donnell defending the defendant.

The case, which extended well beyond expectations, provided an unexpected dose of entertainment for all those present. Mrs Hewson, the plaintiff, claimed that Mr Gildea had sent her six white shirts and one coloured shirt. She emphasized the presence of a printed condition in the laundry book, absolving her of responsibility for unmarked items.

Judge Adams, with a twinkle of humour in his eye, couldn’t help but remark on the level of passion invested in a mere shirt. He wryly noted that being pinned into an iron collar over laundry seemed a rather dreadful fate.

Mr Gildea, in his defence, argued that he had sent six coloured shirts and one white shirt, directly opposing Mrs Hewson’s version of events. He further claimed that the lost shirt, in reality, cost him 10s 6d. He firmly believed that the seventh shirt returned to him was, in fact, a boy’s shirt.

Judge Adams, ever the source of amusement in this peculiar case, decided to play detective himself. He closely examined the elusive white shirt but confessed that the mark had him stumped. With a whimsical flourish, he declared that he wouldn’t pay the price of a brand-new shirt. However, in a spirit of compromise, he graciously allowed six shillings for the “venerable” garment. This sum was promptly deducted from the contentious bill, and a decree was pronounced in favour of the plaintiff for the remaining balance.

As the courtroom burst into laughter, it was a reminder that even in the realm of legal disputes, a touch of comedy can lighten the atmosphere. The case of the missing shirt and the £1 washing bill had, for a brief moment, transformed the Limerick Quarter Sessions into an unexpected stage for mirth and amusement.

Northants Evening Telegraph – Thursday 05 June 1902