POLICE COURT.

1 -** (Before Mr. J. W. Poynton, &__.. TWELVE MONTHS' HARD. "Instead of-a long term of reformative treatment for this man I would suggest 12 months' hard labour," said Rev. Jasper Calder, when Ernest Patrick Henry McGuire (39) appeared. He pleaded guilty to having obtained goods and money, "of a total value of £47, j by false pretences. "Well, great minds sometimes think 'alike, Mr.° Calder, and even before you had suggested that course I had decided to "take it. A man with a record like this must be punished severely," ; said his Worship. ' The fact-s of the cafe were that McGuire got into company with two women, a mother and her married daughter. Representing to them that he was a man of means he assisted them to set up a boardinghouse at Ho wick. In a statement to Detective Meiklejohn accused said the women got all the proceeds of the valueless cheques which he had passed. In respect of arrears on a maintenance order a war rant had now come into operation, and McGuire had commenced to serve a _en tencc of six months, said Senior-Detec-tive Hammond. He had a long list, ,beginning in 1900. I Rev. jasper Calder said he had tried to help McGuire, who had not fulfilled jhis promises. Twelve montns' imprisonment was the sentence. I A REMITTANCE MAN. I Described as a remittance man, who drank to excess, thereby ruining his business, Allen Gillespie was charged witli a breach of his prohibition or_er. The trustees of an estate in Edinburgh had spent £1500 in setting up in a store at Campbell's Bay, said a solicitor. Although prohibited, Gillespie |continued to dissipate his means, and by reason ol' his drunken habits he had very nearly been responsible for the drowning of members of his family some time ago. The trustees were prepared to advance more money ii Gillespie were sent to the Island. Constaile McCarthy, of Takapuna, deposed to the fact that Gillespie drank to excess on occasion. The magistrate remarked that I so long as the man remained in the ictore the business was being robbed, and the happiness of the wife and lar_e (family being destroyed. Gillespie declared that the Island would do him no good. He would not go back there, and had any right to speak as they had done. The case was adjourned, but this morning it was announced that the trustees would remit more money if Gilles; ie were put away. He was, therefore, committed to Kotoroa Island for two years. j HE'LL BREAK THE RECORD YET. I '"He is one of those individuals who will rush to an hotel to drown his sorrows whenever he hears the mention of the word work," said a witness when James Dunn (32) was charged with assaulting an old man, Leo Pijon, and with having begged alms. Evidence was given in support of -he caarges. Detective Meiklejohn stated in evidence that he knew Dunn to.be a waster, who would never do any work. "Here is 'his list, sir," said Senior-Sergeant Rawle. "Of course, a man like that couldn't do without a list," replied his Worship, who remarked on the fact that Dunn had 15 convictions already, and he had been in New Zealand only I three years. "You'll break the record if you keep jup the pace," said Mr. Poynton, S.M., as he consigned Dunn to the house on the hill for three months. O'MALLEY AGAIN. If ever a man made himself notorious in Auckland within the space of a few months he is Peter O'Malley (40), a funny little wizened up fellow, with a close-cropped head and a brogue as long as an Irish mile is long. Originally left behind by an overseas vessel, and falling into the hands of the police because he begged alms on the waterfront, O'Malley has provoked strong comment from Mr. Poynton, S.M., on each of'his six appearances for drunkenness. Such terms as "pest" and "drunken waster" have been applied to him. Terms of imprisonment have proved useless. When he appeared last week the magistrate told him to disappear. If he would get out of the countrj- and unload himself on to someone else the Court would gladly let him go. Only yesterday afternoon O'Malley told Mr." Poynton, S.M., that he had got a job on a boat. Then he went out, got drunk again, and was locked up. "Oh, drunk again—quite hopeless," observed his Worship, laughing. Remembering his threat, the magistrate passed sentence of three months' imprisonment. O'Malley has been promised a sojourn of two years on the island next time he comes up. j THE MOTHER OF TWO. I Blanche Masters (22), a good-looking I woman, evidently of native extraction, I who stated that she was married to a : Maori according to the Maori custom, ! pleaded guilty when, charged with being ' ! £7 10/ in arrears with a maintenance I order in respect of two children, for I whom 2/6 per week each had to be paid. It was stated that the father of the children was in gaol. Sentence of one mouth's imprisonment was passed, the warrant to be suspended for ten days. A HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. In characteristic style the Salvation Army came to the rescue in the case of j two men who were convicted and dis- ; charged for vagrancy. Constable Beck, j who inspected an empty house in Chapel | Square at 9.45 o'clock last night, found ! a window open. When he climbed inside ihe found George Cowan (50) and Alexander Landros (30) snoozing peacefully . in a back room. It was evident that sleep had come quickly by reason of rather too , many drinks. Muttered Landros this ■ morning in guttural Norwegian tones: "I i got broke." "Liquor gets Cowan into all ', , sorts of trouble," said the SeniorI Sergeant. Staff-Captain Davies said he would take the men aud give them a lift along, • j so as to make a good start for the New i I Year. I THE BIRCH FOR A BOY. I "This boy has caused no end of trouble | by wantonly destroying letters," said ' Senior-Detective Hammond, when a lad, ' aged 14 years, pleaded guilty to having I stolen a "letter containing a cheque for ' £120. The boy had been employed as a ' messenger by a local firm, and for some I time past he had been stealing letters. I If they contained money he took it, destroying the remainder of the contents. ' Even if there was no money the letters 1 were destroyed. The boy was the son of ' respectable people, and there was nothin" to explain why he had acted like this. | "'Such a boy deserves' a good thrashi in","' remarked the Magistrate, who prescribed ten strokes of the birch, and ; placed him under the supervision of the Juvenile Probation Officer for two years.

THAT YULETEOE FEELING. The parade of unwise indulgers was not unduly large for this season of the year, but a few too many drinks led j | several to commit offences which "raised" i them above the status of the "simple j drunk." That he was too drunk to i understand what was happening was the explanation given by Mr. Jordan when Herbert McConnell "(37) was charged with refusing to pay a fare when requested to do so. It cost him 30/. i James Thompson (23), who damaged a j taxi-car when being arrested was , ordered to pay for repairs, 15/, and witness' expenses, 10/. "The other fellow struck mc first." said Jack Dennehy (36), charged with threatening behaviour in Newton Road. "Yes, and it looks as if he struck you pretty hard," rejoined the magistrate, gazing at Dennehy's remodelled feature. "As you seem to have been pretty badly done I'll make the fine light—only 20/." j . > —