POLICE COURT. THIS DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 64, 16 March 1900, Page 2

POLICE COURT. THIS DAY.

(Before Mr T. Hutchison, S.M.)

Drunkenness.—For this offence Elizabeth Sneller, Mary Ann Gibbs, and Wm. Bartley, were each fined 5/, in default 24 hours' hard labour.

Charge of Vagrancy. —John. Davie,charged with being an idle and disorderly person, with insufficient lawful means of support, was remanded for seven days for medical treatment.

Assault. —A man named Thomas Finley was convicted of assaulting John Gane and Renold Zarth, and was sentenced to two months' hard labour for the first assault, and to one month's for the second, cen.tences to be concurrent.

Mistaken Identity.—A man named Frederick William Phillips was charged with assaulting Maud Such, with intent to commit rape. Detective Maddern appeared for the prosecution, and Mr Baume for the defence. The informant, a child attending one of the public schools, said she was in the Domain about a quarter past three one afternoon, minding a baby in a perambulator, when the accused came yp and asked her if she had seen a black Shetland pony. She knew the accused by sight, having seen him three times previously. She said she had not seen .the pony, and he went away to lool? for it, but watched her through the bushes to see if she was going away. She got up to go and he came back and said "Come on, now." She went a little way with him. He offered to buy her a new hat, and then to give her ten shillings, but she refused both offers; then he tried to kiss her, and when she turned away he attempted to assault her, and caught hold of her dress and tore it. She screamed out, whereupon he struck her with his fist on the face and head, inflicting a bruise. Some men working in the tunnel near by came to her help, and the man ran away. She saw the accused later in the week, and pointed him out to Constable, Mackle. She was quite siure the accused was the man. She could tell by his eyes, which were sunken. It was half past three when she left the Domain. Witness described the man's dress and appearance at the time of the assault. Otner witnesses corroborated some details of the girl's statement. Mr Baume for the defence called evidence to prove an alibi. Wm. Smith, of Dunn, Smith and Co., deposed to meeting the accused on the Westralia on the afternoon in question, from five minutes to two to Ipflfpast two. Accused was wearing the clothes he had on in Court (which were not the colour described by the girl). Witness went up town with accused, and parted company with him about ten past three o'clock that afternoon, accused going through the dock into Seag-ar's boiler factory. He saw accused again at ten past four in Queen-street. Charles Seagar, of Seagar Bros., deposed that Phillips came round to their works at 3.15 on the afternoon in question, wearing the clothes he had on in Corset. Accused left at a quarter to four. His Worship said the evidence clearly established that the accused could not have been the person who interfered with the, girl, .and that the latter, who gjive her evidence in a very intelligent tman.-

ner indeed, anust have made a mistake. The information must be dismissed. By-Law Case.-James Thos. Trueman was fined 5/ and costs 7/ toi allowing his hand cart to stand across the road in Queen-st, obstructing the traffic. Mr Turner (traffic inspector) appeared for the prosecution.