POLICE COURT.—This Day.

Auckland Star, Volume IV, Issue 1041, 22 May 1873, Page 2

POLICE COURT.—This Day.

(Before His Worship the Mayor.)

DRUNKENNESS. Robert Crane, James McGrill, and Margaret ixichards were charged with this offence, and Crane and Richards were fined ss. each, and McGrill, an old offender, was fined 20s. VAGrANCY. Daniel Donohue was charged under the Vagrancy Act of 1866 with being found lying in the stables of Mr. James Dempsey, at Eden Crescent, without lawful excuse, on the night of the 22nd instant. Prisoner pleaded, guilty, but said'hehad no money to procure a bed, and he crept" in for rest. Sergt. Connor said he found the prisoner in the hay-loft, but he was perfectly sober. } His Worship asked if anything was known of the accused. • Mr. Broham said he was well-known as a thief, and as a person of indifferent character. The Court sentenced him to seven days' imprisonment with^hard labour. STEALING NAILS. f William McKenzie, Charles' Moss,:1-and a John Johnstone; three boys were charged with stealing fifty pounds'weight of copper nails, value 255, the.property of Mefcsr*Sites and Brbwn, shipbuilders, on the'l9th rdst;. The boys said they picked up the nails on the beach and in an old punt. : ■ ■( William Brown, of the firm of Sims and Brown, deposed'that He missed the nails on Monday and some old copper, buthecould not say that the prisoners were the thieves. __, He should not like to press the charge against them. \Jj Charles Lander deposed that he bought the copper produced of one of the boys. Ho gave him 3d per lb. He did not ask them any questions, as he had purchased of them before. His Worship thought that Mr Lander had not exercised due caution in the matter. His duty was to have made enquiries as to where the boys got the goods. Detective Jeffery took the boys into cus* ,tody. ; % IgSergeant Baker saw. the boyß together in j Shortland-street, and accused McKenzie pi stealing copper and nails, when he acknowledged that he had some which he had picked up on the beach. The boys adhered to the story that they picked up the nails and copper by the water side. Mr Broham stated that McKenzie was an orphan boy, who had several situations but would not stay in any of them. Johnston f had been in Court before for stealing. ( His Worship reviewed the antecedents of |< the boys, and dismissed Mackenzie, and f sentenced Moss to twenty-four hours, and. I Johnstone to seven days' imprisonment*" j» BOOTS AND JVHISKBY. : Jane 'Ryan, a. poor Irish woman,., .was^ charged with stealing a pair of tipots, YftW% 7s. 6d., the property of George Lee, «- j 7 I

The prisoner pleaded not guilty. George Lee deposed that he was the owner of the boots, and that he missed them from his room on the 21st instant. William Roth, of Market-square, general dealer, proved that he purchased the boots from the accused, for which he gave her two shillings and threepence. Detective Ternahan proved taking the prisoner into custody. She denied the charge. She had been charged several times with drunkenness.

Mrs Ryan, who had a settled love of f whiskey, and could not live without a 'drap," said that she sold the boots for a woman whom she did not know. His Worship commented upon the ill effects of drunkenness, which frequently led to thieving. She was clearly guilty of stealing the boots, and must go to prison for 30 days.

Robert Alexander's dog.

This case, which had been remanded from day to day, was brought to a conclusion this morning. i

The reputed owner still persisted that he ■was not the owner of the dog, although his wife had affirmed by mistake that he was.

His Worship considered that no evidence had been adduced to show that the dog belonged •to other than the accused. The natural instinct and sagacity were -also against him. The dog" had recognised his home and his bed ; dogs were always faithful. Still, although the Court could not exonerate him entirely, it would only fine him Is and costs. ASSAULT ■Tames Ingham, on remand, appeared in answer to a charge of assaulting Ellen Brown, This case was partly heard on Tuesday, when Dr Baynton's evidence was taken as to the result of the attack. Mr J. B. Russell appeared for the proscution, and Mr Cornford for the defence. Ellen Bassett, on being sworn, deposed that on Saturday evening last her little girl came running to her and told her that the prisoner was beating Mrs Brown. She immediately went, when the prisoner threatened to summon her. She was afraid of him. She saw him throw Mrs Brown down and kneel upon her. In answer to Mr Cornford he threatened her with a summons. He did not threaten to ill-treat her. She kept out of his way.

Margaret Clune deposed that she was a neighbour of the parties ; and on the day in question she heard a row, and upon looking out she saw the prisoner and Mrs Brown struggling at the door. He was holding her by the hair of her head, and she had hold of him by the shirt. He struck Mrs Brown on the breast, and when she fell he put his knee on her and struck her. Mr Cornford spoke in prisoners defence for the space of a half-an-hour, at the close of which the coiinter charge was brought forward, and

Ellen Brown was charged with assaulting Ingham with a poker, and with tearing his shirt.

|£ James Ingham was .then examined, and, to the amusement of the Court, produced the tattered shirt, and deposed that Mrs Brown struck him on the arm and scratched his face. He did not knock her down, but laid her down gently. When she got up from the ground she ran about like a raging bull, while he went for a policeman. She bit his arm and snapped at his ear. In answer to Mr Russel: He did not get angry ; tie was a mild man. He declined to answer whether or not he had ever been in prison. He was always a quiet man; he was terribly attacked by the woman, who had got some mad Maori blood in her. The poker was a formidable one [produced], gf Katherine Ingham, the wife of J. Ingham, remembered Friday last, when there was a row between her husband and Mrs Brown. He went to see Mrs Brown about a complaint made respecting the children, when in great •wrath she rushed after her husband with the poker, and tore all the buttons off his shirt. He gave her a twist, and threw her down. She clutched her husband's shirt with a firm grasp, until a man named Kelly came up, when she relaxed her hold.

In answer to Mr Russell: She saw Mrs Brown biting her husband, but. indeed she ■was not jealous. She must own that her husband was a very passionate man. Peter Kelly deposed that he went horn c to dinner on the day in question; and on passing Mrs Brown's house he heard the row, which was about Ingham's children, and saw the woman beating the man with both hands. They were both very much excited. Mr Russell having addressed the Court, showing that Ingham was clearly the aggressor. His | Worship said Ingham must pay a fine of 40s and costs and fined two securities in £20 each for-his good behavonr for three months, or go to prison for fourteen hays with hard labour.