POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 304, 20 December 1912, Page 5

POLICE COURT.

(Before Mr. E. C. Cm-ten, S___)jjK"CrN__EHIfESS. John Turner came up, accompanied by a bill of 20/, due for seven days medical treatment, and was ordered to discharge the bill in cash or to take it out with three dav-' hard labot__ Richard Wilkes, who appeared to add another item to a lengthy record of drink offences, requested to have a term at Rotoroa Island, and the Magistrate agreed to send him there for twelve months' treatment. An actual first offender bad. to pay .)/. and a statutory first was find 10/. Edward Rilev, who bad broken his prohibition order by getting drunk, was fined 40/, in default seven days in gaol. HIS BACK GAVE OUT. "He simply won't work, but h_3 been living on his aged mother," remarked the Sub-Inspector respecting James Stewart, an able-bodied man o£ 40 years. The income of the mother, the Sub-Inspector continued, amounted to 10/ a week, and Stewart compelled her to keep him and herself on that, while he sauntered round town, having a special fondness for sitrt--g at the root of the Grey Statue. He had been heard to abuse the old woman because she had failed to provide him with tobacco. His living quarters were filthily dirty. This was supported by the evidence of Constable Manktelow, and the accm-ed replied with a statement to tbe effect that he had been working in the country but he had bad three accidents, and bis back gave out, and he had to come to town to his brother's funeral. -How long ago was that funeral*! asked the Sub-Inspector. " Was it not nine months ago ?"—" Within, the rast twelve months.*' •• Three months' hard labour, was the Magistrate's only comment. DISTTJRBANCE IN A BOARDING HOUSE. An assault with intent on Tuesday afternoon on a woman who keeps a boardinghouse in Grey Street was the chafe against James Ferguson, aged 21, and Francis Banks, aged 23, two young men who had just arrived in New Zealand by the mail steamer Makrura. Fergu-o'n was also charged with assaultin"- William Moken, son of the proprietress of the house. The circumstances alleged by the police were that somewhere about two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon Ferguson, who had worked "his paesage on the Makura from Canada, and Banks, a third-class passenger, called at Mrs. Moken's boardinghouse in Grey Street, and made some inquiries. As the re- ' suit, a boarder named Murray informed ' j Mrs. Moken that two men wished to 1 ! see her. and her daughter, who had been sent to interview them, came and toid her mother lhat the men were in the mother's bedroom. Mr 3 Moken went and saw Banks on the bed, and Ferguson sitting on it, whereon she ordered them out. After an argument, during , l which she called a board 2r named j Murray, the two men "went into the : I dining room. There Ferguson suddenly ' j seized her, and a struggle ensued, in I which both men took part, till the i woman's son and daughter came in, and [ the son and Ferguson engaged in a I struggle, while Banks went away. Dur- : ing the struggle between young Moken i and Ferguson, they got on a verandah ' i outside, from which Ferguson was either , pushed or stumbled, and fell oft. or 6ft. J on to the concrete beiow. He got up, ' and the scuffle continued till the arrival Of a fuliceman. who had b:ea called ' meantime by .\l_-<3 Moken. Later i.i the ' , day several men from the Makura called at the poiice -tation. and Banks, wh> | wa- among them, was detained, and later identified by Miss Moken a. b ;-g the second man. Mrs. Moken al. o :.i n..----fied him, but not until he had pat a hit on. 1 i. Proceeding, j