POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 179, 29 July 1913, Page 4

POLICE COURT.

(Before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M.) UKUICKENITESS.. Benjamin Greenwood (72), charged that he was drunk in Drake Street, yesterday, considered that he was not drunk as he was capable of finding his way home. The arresting constable was of opinion that, though Greenwood might hive found his way home, he was yet quite drunk, a condition that had been frequently the case with him since the expiry of his last prohibition order. Greenwood was fined 20/, and re-prohi-bited.

Patrick Doddy, who had got drunk and missed the Gisborne boat on Saturday, was fined 20/, and advised to make sure of the 'boat to-day. John O'Sulliva-n, who hid advertised the fact that he was drunk by shouting out in Queen Street, was fined 20/ for getting drunk when he was prohibited. :leb into trouble. ■Leo Day. aged 20, was charged that he stole £14 1/3, the property of the Auckland Meat Company, Limited. Chief-Detective McMahon said that Day, while employed serving customers of the company, collected various sums of money aggregating the amount stated. He then obtained leave, and went to Rotorua, where he was arrested. His previous character had been good, and the thefts occurred mostly in July.

Mr. Hall-Skelton said that the accused was a country-bred youth, who had been only about a year in town. Being unused to the ways of the city, he allowed himself to come under the influence of two unscrupulous men, who had induced him to lend them money, and to get money in this dishonest manner to give to them. One of them had got about £25, and the other £10, and he could cot get the money back when he found that he was heing landed in trouble. He had made restitution since his arrest.

Day was convicted, and -admitted to twelve months' probation on condition that he reports periodically to the Probation Officer. LANGUAGE. A difference of opinion early one morning in Wakefield Street led to a charge brought -by J. H. Fitzgerald, a carter (Mr. J. R." Lundon) against T. Allen, a dairyman (Qlr. Hali Skelton), that he used insulting language calculated to provoke a breach of the peace. It appeared that a pony standing outside Allen's shop became frightened when Fitzgerald was driving a wagon past, and an altercation ensued in the roadway, blows being exchanged. Allen, who denied the language, declared that Fitzgerald nearly ran the pony down, and struck the Srst blow. He was lined 10/, and 7/ costs. MAINTENANCE. An order for the maintenance of her two children was applied for by Mrs. Susan Barron (Mr. Hackett) against her husband, Peter Barron. a scow hand (Mr. Brown). It was sta-ted by counsel that the case had been before Mr. Kettle, S.M., about a year ago, when the complainant asked for a separation order on the ground that her husband had failed to support her. It had been refused, on the grou-nd that the defendant had a home to which he could take her, and she now merely asked for maintenance for the two children. She was keeping a boardinghouse, which had been her support for a long time, and he had only paid her £11 since they arrived in the Dominion six years ago. The defendant's counsel produced a written offer by Barron to pay 7/0 a week for each child if the complainant would make a formal statement on which he could obtain a divorce on the ground of desertion. This the complainant said that she had refused. The defendant said that he wanted his wife to come back to him, and that he had a hou?e to which he could take her.

The magistrate considered that, in view of the husband's financial position the complainant should not l>e compelled to give up her present home. He would make the order asked for, provided that the defendant were allowed reasonable access to the children. A CLOSED ROAD. Joseph Henning, charged that lie removed and extinguished a hurricane lamp placed in Newton Road by the City Council to mark a dangerous spot, explained that he had motored up to Newton Road, at the Symonds Street corner, only to lind the road closed and barricaded. In endeavouring to turn round to go back he knocked over a drainpipe on which was a lamp. The pipe was broken, and so he extinguished the lamp, put the pieces of the drainpipe in the gutter, and drove away. Defendant was ordered to pay the costs, 7/. HANDLED BEER CARELESSLY' May Sidon, alias Ross, admitted (through her counsel) that on the evening of Tuesday, three weeks ago, she had wilfully 'broken a pane oi glass (value 5/(i), the property of Maria Cavanagh. Inspector McGrath, in indicating the circumstances, said that somewhere about midnight the woman went to a house Iα Newton Road in search of her husband, believing that he was in the house hob-nobbing with another man who occupied the house. She was not admitted, so she threw a bottle of beer through the window, and bombarded the roof with btones. What 'became of the bottle, which was full, was not part of the story.

■Mr London stated that the woman had paid for the damage, and, on being informed that the police had no previous record against accused, his Worship fined her 10/, and 15/ costs. buscei^abteous. Rachael Smith, alias Casey (33), expensively attired, but obviously suffering from an attack of "nerves," admitted a charge of soliciting at Market Entrance, and was remanded for a week's medical treatment.

Hyan Goldman, for driving a cart along {Symonds Street after dark without having the vehicle properly lighted, was fined 5/ and costs; and David Wark, for not having a light on his bicycle after dark, was fined 2/6 and costs. Charles V. Robertson and Thomas R_ V. Gulliver, for motoring round the Pon-sonby-Jervois Roads corner at more than a walking pace, were fined 10/ and costs each.