POLICE COURT.—This Day.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1624, 29 April 1875, Page 2

POLICE COURT.—This Day.

(Before Thomas Beckham, Esq., K.M.) SHADOWS OF HUMANITY. Edward Johnston was fined 10 ; Robert Fuller, 10s; Ellen Condlin, 10s; and Margaret Roberts was sent to prison for seven daysfor being drunk in the public streeta last night. A STRIPLING. Thomas Bowden was brought up tinder the Vagrancy Act for misconduct and foul language last night. Mr Kissling appeared for prisoner and said there were circumstances favourable to the prisoner, and he would ask for a remand. Remanded until Saturday; prisoner admitted to bail. THE OLD EXCUSE. James Maclean, a strong man, was again brought on a charge of assaulting Henry Price,, by knocking him down and breakim; his leg, at the top of Shortland-street, on the night of the 21st inst. The prisoner pleaded drunkenness as his excuse, and said he had a witness who couldswear that he never touched the man. Mr Broliam said he "had a certificate fronv Dr. Philson, stating that complainant was at present unable to attend in consequence of his broken leg. The case was remanded until Saturday week. EXERCISING ON A HUMAN PACE. Thomas Lupton was charged with violently assaulting George McCaslin, by striking him on the face with his terrible fist. Mr J. B. Russell informed the Court that Dr Kenderdine had given a certificate to the effect that McCaslin would not be able to attend for three weeks at least, as he was very severely injured. He would therefore ask for a remand. Remanded until the 9fch May. THK LATE FIRE. George Daniel Burke, again appeared ia answer to a charge of feloniously setting fire to a house in Wakefield-street on the 21st instant. Mr Broham conducted for the police, and Mr Hesketh appeared for the accused. Mr James B. Graham watched the case on behalf of the Norwich Union Insurance Society.

Samuel Ramus, general dealer, Lornestreet, remembered the night of the 21»t; about half-past eleven that night, he was carrying water from Grey-street. He saw smoke issuing from the house of the accused. He made an alarm and roused the neighbours ; there was no person in the street. He went to the spot. Two firemen then came up, and one ran and rang the bell. _ Cross-examined by Mr Hesketh : He did not ring the fire-bell ; the nre broke out at the back of prisoners house; the first persons .on the spot were Detective Jeffrey, Mr Isaacs, and a reporter. Did not know reporter's name. He was a little, sharp-looking man, with a straw n»«

<on ; he might be the Herald reporter, he could not say. Prisoner was not there. There was a great deal of smoke, but no blaze. People were trying to put it out with buckets of water. -John Lunar Hunt, bootmaker of Wake-tseld-street, living next door to prisoner, deposed that on the night of the fire he saw iprisoner going into his own house about ten o'clock ; ho then went into his yard. He was about eight or nine yards from prisoner's jlean-to attached to prisoner's house. He :saw nothing unusual; it was a bright moonlight night. He wound up the clock and went to bed at half-past ten. He next heard a rumbling sort of noise, but could .scarcely distinguish what it was. Mrs Burke shouted out — "Hunt, Hunt, get up, the place is on fire." He was out of bed in a minute, popped on Ihis trousers, saw the reflection of the fire on the window, and rushed down stairs ; the fire was then breaking through prisoner's ■workshop, and bursting towards his house. He commenced throwing water upon the fence. Several persons were on the spot, but he could not say who they were. Cross-examined at some length by Mr JJesketh : He was always on good terms with prison.er; he had known him eighteen months. Detectiv/e George Jeffrey remembered the night of t ,he fire ; heard the alarm at halfpast ele.ven; went to Wakefield-street : entered the prisoner's house, and saw the lean-to partly on fire (premises described). He fr /Qn d some flax smouldering^in a sack, ""'h* A smelt very strongly of kerosene. I*r isoner said he knew nothing of the flax : it T fas not there when he left off work. He could not account for it. Prisoner said he had been working all that day in 4he shed, and on leaving locked it up .•and hung the key on a nail in the kitchen ; when the fire broke out the key was still there. Witness found a kerosene bottle in the kitchen, which prisoner said he had been using in filling the lamps ; they also used kerosene about the nozzles of their bellows to keep them from rusting. Prisoner said he was insured for £75, but he found that he was insured for £100, viz. :— leanto, £15; stock, £50 ; furniture, £25; and tools, £10. Cross-examined at great length by Mr. Hesketh : After prisoner was brought to the station prisoner's wife came to see him with his breakfast, and they conversed together alone. A constable was in the yard, but not within hearing. He was struck with the circumstance. Mr Hesketh having addressed the Court for the defence, his Worship considered that a prim facie case had not been made out.

The prisoner was therefore discharged,