POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 170, 17 July 1908, Page 5

POLICE COURT.

(Before Mr. K. W. Dyer, S.M.) A MERCHANT OF SHODDY. Charles Edgecombe was charged with being an idle and disorderly person, and a consorter of disreputable characters, two counts which he denied vigorously. Detectives Scott and Hollis, however, related their acquaintance of comings and goings that Edgecombe had performed, which, according to their evidence, were various and not eloquently reputable. The man in the dock, they declared, was a hawker of shoddy—cheap cotton goods bought by him at warehouses,.and taken round to bargain-questing housewives as stufl' smuggled in by him, the steward of such and such a ship, innocent of duty and ridiculous at the price he asked. To convince his prospective costomers, he garbed himself to smack somewhat of the genuine article, with a jaunty steward's cap upon his locks—aaid business flourished, and the prices were ridiculous —for his shoddy. The victims of this peculiar trade, however, were loth to complain to the authorities about their victimising, explained the detectives, for they did not like to come to Court. And as for the consorting, Edgecombe himself was fain to confess he had acquaintance with certain ladies and gentlomeai, among the latter being such members of society as "safe busters," convicted thieves, and other artful dodgers of a numerous ilk, explained his captors. He objected ardently, however, to the imputation against his financial position, insisting that he had arrived in Auckland some eight or ten weeks ago from the King Country, where he sold a Maori leasehold, and had since circulated coin in our community at the rate of £10 a week, having still £10 left in the National Bank. So the charge of | vagrancy was withdrawn. "But the con- | sorting has been proved up to the hilt," commented his Worship, and Edgecombe was sent to work for one month. COMMITTED FOB SENTENCE. The tall young man of country-bred appearance named Wallace Scott, charged with having obtained two sums of money, £1 12/ and £2, from Andrew Morris, licensee of the Aurora Hotel, on July 8, 'by passing valueless cheques to him, this morning pleaded guilty to both charges. According to the evidence submitted by Chief Detective Marsack, who prosecuted, Wallace represented himself as a sheep farmer in the Papakura district, asked the hotelkeeper for a blank cheque on two successive days, filled it in, and persuaded him to cash it. When the cheques were returned dishonoured, he endeavoured to temporise by saying his account was at the Papakura branch of the bank. As the bank in question had no branch at Papakura, Wallace's time was up. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. ANOTHER SIX MOUTHS. Mary Lewes, an elderly lady, whose 100 odd convictions are still amounting towards the second century, appeared this morning for her second failure in the period to remain sober, as a prohibition order breaker, and for using language of an unqualified character. Mary Lewes attempted with evergreen confidence in the credulity of magistrates, to proclaim her innocence, and the general subjection of herself to wicked and vilifying statements; but for her stomachic infringements she was fined £2 10/, with the choice of taking it out in the usual month; while for the lingual accompaniment she was peremptorily returned to Mt. Eden Gaol tor a six months' tenancy. INEBRIATE. James William Roach, several times an offender, was fined £'2, default seven days; James Smith, a second offender, and breaker of his order, was fined a collective £2 10/, in default one month. Four first were dealt with, and Harry Hooper, who committed an inttiscretion in Elliott-street that permits of no option, was convicted and sent away with a warning not to transgress again. TO CONTINUE. Alexander Stewart, who is at present serving a sentence in Mt. Eden Gaol, was this morning required to explain why he took the silver watch and gold pin from the bag of his- room ma-te at a Vin-cent-street boardinghouse one day early last month while the other lodger was absent, and afterwards pawning the same at a second-hand dealer's shop. Stewart could not explain, except to lay the blame to the controlling influence of the whisky. The much-maligned whisky was proved, to be innocent, however, and Stewart "was awarded a further three months of imprisonment, to be served at the conclusion of his present sentence. A PREVENTER. George Gaskill was acquainted by the wife of Arthur England that her husband was a prohibited person, with a request not to do anything calculated to lead him into temptation, but nevertheless, lie one day early this month, accompanied England into the Ponsonby Club Hotel. " I Will put a stop to this game as far as I can," promised the magistrate, as he inflicted the maximum penalty, £ 10 and costs, allowing Gaskill a week in which to find the fine before meeting with the al- | ternative. England, the prohibited one, i was fined £2 and costs, "default one month. HOP BE3B CHARGES. This morning Stanatis Angelo, the Greek seller of a bottle of hop beer on the evening of Sunday, June 21, at his shop in Karangahape-road, was this morning fined £ 1 and a guinea costs. A MAGDALENE. Xorah Hazel Stanley, an attractivelooking girl, who evidently had awakened to a keen appreciation of her position, pleaded guilty to the charges of being idle and disorderly, and consorting with undesirables. She was handed over to the guardianship of the Salvation Army authorities for six months. REMANDED. Daniel Munro, a young man of physically fit appearance was, on the application of Mr. Lundton, remanded for a week on a charge of being an incorrigible rogue. A NEIGHBOURLY AFFAIR. Mary Williams waa accused by Ada Elizabeth Henderson of having threatened her in an intimidating manner, promising future physical injury for complainant, and George Williams, <on of the other defendant, was accused of having struck the same complainant on the forehead, meek, aud arms. Both pleaded not guilty, Mr. Singer defending them, while Mr. Hackett appeared for the prosecu-trix. The evidence pointed to the starf. of trouble owing to Mrs. Henderson directing suindry inquirers after a Mrs. Williams to the house of the defendants: Defendants became annoyed, arid_ young Williams visited Mis: HeniferJWl: to protest. According to bimsjus'.protet met in a decidedly e^^£j*f

results for jirs. Henderson's head and arms. Young Williams admitted having ■been several times convicted of assault, so his Worship convicted and fined'him. £5 and £1 14/ costs, with the alternative of one month. lie was, moreover, required to find • his onm and anotfier surety in £25 each for the keeping of the peace during the next six months. The information" against Mary Wiiliama was dismissed.