POLIE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 204, 27 August 1909, Page 2

POLIE COURT.

U-.ij gpEJMft "fj-W* (Before Mr, & $$& . THE paUNHARDI. George Wheatcroft is a young man who has been given two chances to reform during the last few weeks, after having fallen into the hands of the police. This morning he was charged With, drunkenness, with having procured liquor while prohibited, and with being an habitual drunkard. He was seat to Pakatqa for 12 months. Charles Arthur Sullivan came out of gaol after serving a three months' sentence for drunkenness on Tuesday last t since when he has been going about the town drinking, and at nights has been sleeping in the wharf lumpers' warting-roomi Last night he was locked up. This niornimj in court lie appeared with a badly scratched. an.d battered face, and 'looking rather dilapidated. He was charged with drunkenness, with having procured liquor while prohibited, with being an habitual drunkard, and with being an idle and disorderly person, The charge of vagrancy was d.isin,issed. Accused was convicted on the other three charges a.nd sentenced to imprisonment for 14 days. Henry McMahon, for drunkenness and far having procured liquor while prohibited, was fined £2, in default seven days. Oliver Taylor, similarly charged, begged for leniency, and was convigted and discharged. John Ma(,tison, druiik in Customs-street, was fined 5/ or 24 h,ours. Ope flrst offender was similarly dealt with, and another who did not appear was fined £1. " I'M TOMMY BURNS." Charles Frederick MoDonald has just now a rather bad 'black eye, which decoration was thrust upon hlni in a disturbance with a young man named John Lewis Shear-d. The charge against McDonald was that he assaulted Sheard and a young woman named Ruby Catherine Cooke. The evidence for the prosecution as to how the assault occurred made a singular story. Sheard, it was said, was in Customs-street with the young woman last night. He had occasion to leave her to go on an errand, and in the meantime McDonald, it was alleged, went up to the girl an,d. made improper overtures to her. The girl said aU° that when she refused to have anything to do with McDonald, whom she had never seen before, he attempted to pull her away, and she called for help. Sheard came back, and McDonald, saying '-••I'm Tommy Burns," attacked him with an umbrella. Then there was a scuffle, and the girl called for more help. Two constables came along, and McDonald was arrested. Both witnesses said that MoDonald, who is quite deaf, behaved in a stupid, dnzyed sort of manner. McDonald's story was rather a different one. He admitted having spoken to the girl, and having offered her half a sovereign, but he did not admit having assaulted her, and he maintained that Sheard hit him first a heavy blow on the ?ye, which dazed hjm. He also made insinuations against the girl and her mode of life, asserting that she was a pernetunl nuisanice to !bim, and the Magistrate decided that the case was so unsatisfactory that he ordered a remand until Monday for further inquiry. A STREET FIGHT. Carl Nix and William Cunningham, two out-of-work sailormen, were charged with having oeeasipned a breach of the peace in Customs-street last night. They were further charged that they were idle nnd disorderly persons in that they had insufficient means of support. The men admitted having had a fight, but denied the vagrancy charge. The evidence of Sergeant Ramsay was that the two men were "hotel wasters," who would not work so long as they could find men to shout beer for them. They fed on the counter-lunch in the hotel bars, and did not trouble much about other meals. He said also that there were a number of men of the same class as accused who knocked about the water front, and were a perfect nuisance. The men's own story was that they were waiting for a ship, but could not get one. The charge of vagrancy was dismissed, but for the other offence the mon were sent to gaol for three days. . PROCURING LIQUOR. Thomas Martin, a young man, who! showed plainly the effects of excessive drinking, was charged with having procured liquor while prohibited. He was fined £3, in default one month's imprisonment. Alfred Martin, a lad of 19, brother of the last accused, was charged with having supplied him with liquor. He was convicted and fined 10/, and ordered to pay costs 7/. John George Brown, who pleaded guilty to a charge of having entered licensed premises while prohibited, was fined £1, and ordered to pay coats £1 1/. THE BY-LAWS. Joseph Prosper Franklin, charged that he carried a hurden on his shoulder to the obstruction of passengers on the footway in KaTangahape-road, was convicted and fined 2/6, and ordered to pay costs 8/0. THE RAILWAY REGULATIONS. A. Wetherell was charged that on the , 19th July he failed to deliver up a ticket 1 when required to do so by the guard | of the train on which he was travelling.; The ticket in respect of which the trouble arose was an expired weekly worker's | ticket. Defendant was not travelling onj this ticket, but on an ordinary ticket, which he had purchased in the usual I way- Mr. Alexander appeared for the defendant, and argued that the evidence i disclosed no offence. His Worship conlessed that he "was doubtful whether the ueiendnnt's act constituted an offence, out as the matter was one of some public importance, ordered that the case be adjourned, until Friday next in order that he should have an opportunity of considering the law and the railway by-laws.