POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 16, 19 January 1914, Page 7

POLICE COURT.

(Before Mr & C. Cutien, S.M.) DKu ji hxm ifESS. Two first offenders were convicted and discharged, and one forfeited 'bail. John Thomas Partridge (46), who intimated * keen desire to get a job, and stated hris inab&ity to pay a fine, was convicted arid discharged. Daniel Borkin (54),f0r getting drunk when prohibited, was fined 20/. VICTIM OF LOCK-OTJT. Alexander Cdffie (50), who had ibeen palled out of the water at the wharf ten days ago, and wae found in urgent need of a still more adequate wash than he had had, appeared, after a remand in gaol, Bcrubbed into something like personal cleanUness. In reply to a charge of being idle and disorderly, he stated that he had been out of work for a time, and in coneequence of dicing unable to pay his board, had been locked out by his landlady, who at the same time took charge of 'his personal belongings. That wae his reason, he said, for his remaining in town and sleeping out. Senior Sergeant Rutledge said that the Salvation Army authorities were willing to take charge of Collie, and on the latter undertaking to remain at the Army Home for six months, the charge was withdrawn. A BILUABD BOOM RAID. iHaroM McNeil admitted having kept his billiard-room open after eleven o'clock on the night of Saturday, October 13, and "Walter Melndoe, John Cottingham, John Sutcliffe, Bert Nixon, Harry White, Ernest Roberts, Frederick Blatt, David Wileon, Norman G. Swaneon, Wm. McHendry, Norman Nicholson, R. Flannagan, Wm. K. Hendry, and Arthur Clayton, admitted that they were, on the occasion mentioned, in the billiardroom when it should have been closed. Chief Detective McMahon stated that because of information received, the police had the Star billiard-room in .Newton Road under observation on the Saturday in question and so discovered that there were a number of men in the place about 11.30 p.m. The jingle of money could be heard, but not the click of 'billiard balls, and when the police demanded admittance the lights went out suddenly. When the police did get in, there was no sign of any game in progress, and the proprietor said that they were just having a chat, while some of the others explained that they were waiting for friends. Mr M. D. Mahoney, for defendants, said that on the evening in question a game of billia-rds was being played for a prize, and it was not finished at closing time. The young men asked the proprietor not to turn the lights out till the game ■was finished, and he acquiesced thinking it would take only a few minutes. The game finished at quarter past eleven, and the police came almost immediately afterwards.

Hi, Worship remarked on the fact that this explanation had not been given at the time, while there was suspicion in the turning out of lights. Ordinarily there was nothing to cavil at in the {fame of billiards, but sometimes gambling was known to take place in certain billiard rooms. MeXeil would be fined £5 and costs, and tlie other defendants 20/ each and costs. IflL StOUBII SOVEREIGN. Neil Houb-t-on Muntkiy, age-d 1(5, denied a e&arge that lie had c.l.aleu a sovereign belonging t-o (j&orge l'ruurasc. Fred \\ T, Hi?cjn, a lad. of 13 years, said , that he .was in charge of a fruit barrow, for Prinirctsf, at the corner of I'itt Street anii Karangahape ftaad, on December 31, when Mund-ay, aceomipanied by a younger bro-ther and another lad, came ami aeked him lo change a s-overeigii. He -took the sovereign, put it on some paper bags on the barrow, gave the change, and Diicn iserved- a man who caime up for fruit. Then he looked fur l.he sovereign, and , found , it was g-onc. A small hoy who was standing near by said t-hat Monday had ta,ken the sovereign, and: Witeon went a-fter M-unday. but the latter denied the theft. H-aro-ld McLaehlan, a boy of ten years, ?aid he M.-.v Munday lift tihe sovereign oit l*e bawow, anvl put bis hand in h:e packet. He was quite --jure Munday took the eovereign up and dkkr't put it diawn again, and he didn't say anything to Wilson a-bout it till the latter eaid he had test a eovemgn, became he 'thought Wr!eon i also had e-e-en Munday lift the sovereign. "Miimtay denied the the-ft. He eaid he had. juot carried , a hamper for a man from the Western Park gates to the Pitt Street corner, and the man told him to get the sovereign chaiiged. He did ft), at the barrow, and- got a eh-Hling for carrvinjr the hamper. <M\ui day's younger ihrot-her corroborated this eta-tement, but his Worship was not convinced, and convicted Mundfciy. and , ordered 1 him to refund the money and pay 15/ ooets. GETTI3TG FIT FOR WORK. William Thos. Jackson (43), arrested early this morning as a vagrant, admitted that he had been "'knocking round town and boozing a bit," but attributed it to the fact that the labour market was so over-crowded that he couldn't get a. job. There was no work about, he said, but if given a chance he would pursue a job out of town. "A month's hard labour," decided his Worship, adding that Jackson would by that time be feeling fitter for work. EXHIBITION TRAFFIC. For travelling at more than a walking pace round the Park Road corner, opposite the hospital gates, on the road to the Exhibition, six motor car drivers, F. C. Farrington, Wm. Gill, Ernest Paice. John Hellaby, Kay Lister and Samuel Galbraith were fined each 10/ and 7/ costs. For doing likewise at the Wellesley Street corner, George Sutcliffe had to pay a similar penalty. MISCEIiATTEOUS. Saraih May Thompson (24) and Kate W'ileon (34), who appeared ac admitted vagrairts, protested that they wieheel to leave "fho town, and were given the opportunity to do co "within 24 hours faijins; which tlrey would be brought up for eewteiice.