POLICE COURT.-This Day.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 209, 6 September 1886, Page 3

POLICE COURT.-This Day.

(Before MeesrsS. Rochefort and J. P. King, J.P.'s. Dhunkbnness, —Three porsons were punished for this offence.—Two of the prisoners were moro youths, and this fact attracted tbb notice of the Bench. Ldsi io ShaMe.—Martha McMahus, a young girl who appeared to consider hor position in the dock an immense joke, and who smiled affectionately at her friends in Court, pleaded guilty to a charge of having no visible lawful means of support.—One month's imprisonmont with hard labour. A Youthful Prisoner. —Thomas Weston, a boy, was charged with feloniously Breaking and bntering the premisos of Georgo Hardy, and stealing therefrom a gasalier, value 30j.—Sergeant Pratt asked for a remand till Friday, when he said a Chinaman named Ah Kin would be brought up in conjunction with prisoner and charged with the offence.

That Mysterious Bui.Lock. — Andrew Austen was charged with slaughtering cattle without a license, and pleaded not guilty.—Mr Braspey appeared lor the prosecution and Mr Browning for the dofence. —Constable Kelly deposed td seeing the accused in Hunter and Nolan's saleyards, and told him that ho wanted some information respecting the bullock that Mr Douglas had,bought, and that was supposed to bo suffering froth cdncor in tbe bye. He said he had killed tho bullock. — Mr Browning : Now, be careful.—Mr Brassey: He said that last time.—Mr Browning : No, lie did not.—Witness continued that he was satisfied that Austin knew which bullock he referred to. Accused then refused to givo him any further information, but if Mr Woolfiold or the persons Who complained to the police wont to him he might give tbem a littlo more information.—By iNtr 'Browning : Austen said lie killed " the" bullock, and not "a" bullock; —He laid tho second information at the instigation of Inspector Thomson, but neither he nor any of his superior officers actually sp«ke to him on tho subject. Mr Brassey told him that ho had seen Mr Thomson, and that if witness went with him up to the Court, they would lay another information. Mr Stevenson was with them.—Mr Browning said he had brought tbis point out in order to show that tho prosocution was tbo outComo of a bit of spito on the part of Mr Stevenson, a rival butcher.—ln reply to a further question, witnoss said he had not seen the bullock killed, nor had he soon the hido, and for all he know, the bullock might bo alive yot. The subsequent evidence h aasiinilar to thatgiven on th'? occasion of the last hearing. Kobt. Douglas, the principal witness, did not, however, opp ar, although repeatedly called on. Mr Bras3oy aekod permission to withdraw tho charge, but Mr Browning objected, and holding that there was no evidence of tbe killing -of tlie bullock, he submitted that the case should be dismissed.—The Bench hold, under section 38, that unless the Resident Magistrate were also on the Bench they had no jurisdiction, and therefore dismissed the case for this reason. —Mr Browning asked for costs, but no order was made. Before leaving tho Bench, Mr Rochefort said the police only did their duty, aud therefore no b'ame attactod to them. — Sergeant Pratt said the constable had definite although indirect instructions to lay the information. The Bench added that it was only in exceptional cases that this course should bo pursued.