POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 69, 20 March 1908, Page 5

POLICE COURT.

THIS DAY.. Mr. R. W. Dyer, S.MJ, THE DRUNKARDS. On account of ncr frequent visitations to the Court, Margaret Braslin, alias Piper, a prohibited woman, was awarded fines totalling £3, with the alternative of spending a month at Mt. Eden- Three first offenders were given the usual penalty of 5/ or 24 hours; while another, who had been arrested early this morning, was still in a semi-exhilarated state when called, and was sent back to the cells until to-morrow, in order that time might clear his clouded brain. TWELVE MONTHS. Mary Ann Gibbs quaveringly pleaded for leniency, while several police officers remorselessly detailed Sunday peregrinations which the delinquent Mary had conducted at late hours and in shady company. "I was out of town for 14 months," she complained, "and had not been in half an hour before they had mc." Twelve months in gaol was her lot. AWAY FROM TEMPTATION. According to Detective MeMahon, Edward Knox, representing thac his wife was dead, went in tears to Mr. A. Sanford, and obtained £3 for funeral expenses. The lady, however, was still in the land of the living, and on the third of the following month summoned her errant spouse for maintenance. Knox pleaded anxiously that -what he had done was without any bad intention, and that he had been misled concerning the decease f his wife by certain deep-laid schemes of others. His Worship expressed the opinion that Knox's action was one of the most contemptible which had come beneath his notice. In order that he might be outside the sphere of misleading information, the offender was sent to gaol for six months.

BREACH OF PROHIBITION.

I Arthur W. J. Johnston and James Patterson, who had violated the terms of their prohibition, were fined £3 and £2 respectively, witli the alternative of a month's imprisonment. " EUCHRED." A card party in the vicinity of Beau-mont-street was surprised on" a Sunday morning recently by Constable Coppell, } with the result that one of the players made his appearance at Court this morning. James Martin, the man in question, 1 was the only one captured, the other euchre players making off in a hurry. Mr. Pullen called evidence to show the excellent character borne by the defendant. His Worship pointed out that the maximum pc-mllty for the offence was £50, but under the circumstances he would inflict a fine of £3 and costs. Large fines, however, would be the lot of future offenders. HJu-TREATEPTG A HORSE. Ilc-nry ILack was prosecuted by Inspector Alder of the S.P.C.A. for having cruelly illireated his horse. After hearing the evidence Mr. Dyer said that the defendant had acted offensively when spoken to by the Inspector, besides which he was satisfied that the' horse had hud a very bad knee. A fine of £o and JO/ costs "was inflicted. TAILING TO CLOSE. Hugh Gilmore, who wa.s prosecuted bythe Labour Department (represented by Mr. J, JS. Lindsay, Inspector of .Factories), tor failing to close his shop at the spcviik'd time, was convicted and | ordered to pay cot>ts, his Worship stating ilia!, the defendant had evidently been under a misapprehension as to the closing time. A similar charge was preferred against Charles Itanger, and the officers of the Department stated that the defendant had received verbal and written notice of the proper closing time. His Worship I said that this case was quite different to j the previous one. A fine of £5 and costs was inllicted. REMANDED FOR PROBATION. A man named Edward Walsh, who had formerly acted as an agent for the T. and G. Insurance Company, appeared in answer to a charge of having misappropriated £7 belonging to the Company. Mr. llaekett explained that the accused had informed the Company of I the shortage, and that his employers were prepared to immediately reinstata him. Arrangements had also been made for the repayment of the money. Mr. Dyer agreed to remand the accused pending the receipt of the Probation Officer's report. Bail was allowed. A SERIOUS CHARGE. A young man named John Chappell, who was defended by Mr. Hackett, was charged with having committed a serious offence on a girl of 15. According to the evidence for the prosecution, the accused was staying with the complainant's people, and the two became intimate, llie girl, who will be 15 in April, became in a certain condition, and with the consent of her people the two were to have been married, when Chappell's arrest occurred. Neither the girl nor her parents had anything to do with the. complaint from which the arrest resulted. (Proceeding.)