MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 21, 24 July 1918, Page 8

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Tho sitting of tho Magistrate's" Court this morningl was presided over, by Messrs. J. ,W. Ellison , t and J. JJSalek, J.P.'s. Four first-offending inebriates inebriates were dealt with in the usual way. Mary Enright, for drunkenness, was fined £1, with tho option of going to gaol for forty-eight hours, and William Con and James Hunter were each fined 10s, with tho same alternative. A Greek named Zisimos Mouritalus and Herbert Mead, who had engaged in a stand-up fight in Courtenay-place .last night, were ordered to pay a fine of 10s each, or go to gaol for three days. . > ,

William David Creamer,, who , had taken a pair of leggings from, outside ■Mrs Hayvice'e shop, was sent to gaol for fourteen days.

Joseph Edward Hood pleaded not guilty to tho theft of three tins of jam, the property "of the Now Zealand Shipping Company. He was seen coming off a ship at the King's Wharf with the tins in his possession. He eaid ho was taking them to a friend. His plea was' that the tins of jam had been ibsued to him 'and his mate, as members of the crew, and that .they had not consumed them, • and therefore thought they were their own property. Against this,the chief stew ard said the rule was that any stores not consumed should be handed back at the end of the voyage. That was one condition laid down in the articles signed by the members of the crew, who drew foodstuff? as they were required. The Bench imposed a fine of *£2,in L default fourteen days' imprisonment.

A young man, for whom Mr. H." F. O'Leary appeared, pleaded not guilty to a charge of having stolen a horse cover, valued at 12s 6d, the property of John Campbell. For tho prosecution it was contended that while defendant and others were working at Paterson's oil store he remarked that one of the horse's covers used by Campbell's driver would make him a good apron. A day laterl he was seen wearing" an' api'on' made' of "a horse cloth .-■ Two • cloths ' were -missing, and one had been -recovered.. Defendant said he had heard r nc>tliing'..about a. cjpth,. being missing. He found the cloth which' he used-as "an apron in the building a' day after tbe remark was made about the suitability, of a cover for that purpose, and wore it until, the police.interviewed him on the subject. Two witnesses gave evidence in support of'this explanation, and the Bench dismissed the case.; . „,, „„.,„„..,-,.,,..,