POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 275, 20 November 1899, Page 6

POLICE COURT.

SATURDAY,

(Before Mr H. W. Brabant, S.M.)

Two Months For. Begging.—A man named Thomas Beamish was charged with begging alms at Devonport. He pleaded not guilty, but was convicted on . the evidence of Constables Miller, I .nnerty, and several other Witnesses. "It seems to me to be a very bad case," said His Worship, addressing the prisoner. "I can't see-any excuse for your conduct. You are apparently an ablebodied man, yet you go round the North Shore begging alms on AVhat are practically false pretences, pretending that you have young children to gupport when you have none, You are sentenced to "two months' hard labour." ■ - . - -•'•>■ • »«». .:.- Licensing'Cfl'Se.-By ar__ngen__.L'a.' week's adjournment. Avas granted! in the case against John Endean, licensee of the Waitemata Hotel,' charged with having on October 16th .allowed his licensed premises to remain open for the sale of liquor after 11 p.m. ■ -; Prohibition Order. —A prohibition order was issued against William Bartley, on the application of his mother. "The Electoral Act.—Robert Jukes Glover pleaded guilty to two charges of having unlaAvfully signed his name as a witness to a signature upon an electoral enrolment claim without having seen such signature written or having heard it declared. He also pleaded guilty to signing a fictitious name to an enrolment form. There were four other charges of having signed: a fictitious name, but in view.of the defendefendant having pleaded guilty, the Crown Prosecutor (Mr Tole) withdrew these charges. Mr Parr, who appeared for the defendant, said the offences were committed prior to. His Worship's recent decision in similar cases; they had been comonitted in the enthusiasm and excitement of election time, and defendant assured him that since he became acquainted with the law as stated by His Worship In the previous cases, he had not offended again. His Worship said the signing of a fictitious name seemed to him a far more serious offence than that of signing as witness to a signature without seeing the signature written. ' The Legislature, however, apparently treated the two offences as similar, inasmuch as the same penalty (a fine not exceeding £50) was provided for each, and it Avas not for him to set up his own opinion against that of the Legislature. Defendant would be fined 10/ on each charge; and ordered to pay costs, £5 8/.

A Prison Row.—Two convicts named Arthur McKell and Cyrus Wilson, undergoing sentences of 4 years,and 3 years respectively, were each charged Avitfh having committed an aggravated assault upon the other. Several of the Avarders gave evidence, one of them producing a stone chisel with blood and hair on it, Avhich he had picked up on the scene of the struggle. He stated that there Avas also blood and; hair on a stone at the same spot, while McKell had a bad cut on the head. None of the warders saw the chisel used. Wilson, who made a statement at great length, explained to the Magistrate how the row occurred: "We were having a discussion on religion," he said, "and I made an assertion against a Roman Catholic priest. It was unfounded; I only used it to carry out my argument. McKell being a Roman Catholic—and a pious Roman Catholic from Avhat I have seen of him—immeilitely called me a liar. I ivas excited; .we both Avere. I struck at him and we both fell. In falling his head hit the stone. While Aye avere struggling on the ground the warder came upon the scene and; separated us," Wilson denied having used the chisel on McKell, and the latter supported his statement. His Worship said fhe chisel was the only serious feature in the case, There' Avas no evidence that it was used, and the prisoner McKell made no such charge against Wilson. He thought he must ciine to the conclusion that a fall on the chisel was the cause of the blood and hair being found On it.. Of course had the use of 'the chisel been proved he would have had: to commit the prisoner avlio used it to a further trial at the Supreme Court, on a charge of committing a murderous assault. Apart from that, it appeared to have been an ordinary quarrel. He thought it necessary to inflict some punishment. Each prisiiier would be put on bread aud Water for seven days.