POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 55, 5 March 1917, Page 4

POLICE COURT.

' • (Before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M.) X.RTT—TKZ_rif_EBS. Elizabeth Skidmore (46), who. had slipped twice in the past six months, bad been kept in for the week-end, and she was consequently merely convicted and' discharged. Two first offenders forfeited bail. James Buls (30), a fireman who had endeavoured to provoke a fight in Victoria Street on Saturday night when he was under the influence of liquor, was convicted and "ordered to be put aboard his ship. HADE TR._____SEI.VEB AT HOKE. James McClure and Albert E. Swan- - son were charged that at Tahekeroa between January 27 and February 10 they stole a, quantity of fruit, value £2, the property of Robert McCardle. Senior Sergeant Rutledge stated that the two men were employed by the Education Department to shift a school at. ' Tahekeroa, up Helensvilie way, and got. permission from Mr. McCardle to stay ia the hitter's unoccupied farm-house. .- There were three or four acres in orchard about the house, and the men not only had free fruit while they were at th* house, but when they went away they took threee cases, of apples and soot peaches, a small jar of honey each from a hive that was in the orchard. The fruit was valued by Mr. McCardle at £2. Mr. Hackett, for accused, submitted that the matter should be regarded as an abuse of hospitality rather than theft. The men were of good character, 'and' 1 seeing the neighbours helping themselves and learning that the farm honse had not been occupied for 18 months, they thought that the fruit was considered of no commercial value to the owner. They were perfectly ready to pay the value of the fruit. His Worship stated that though the matter amounted technically to theft, it was, in fact, more rather mean thoughtlessness than anything else. The charge would be dismissed, under section 92 of the J.P. Act, on condition that the men paid Mr. McCardle the value of the fruit MISC_r__.I_AirEOTJS. Clarence James Evans (24), on a • charge of having failed to maintain hi* wife and two children in Wellington, *U remanded to appear at Wellington on Tuesday of next week. John Hugh Hall (24), on a charge of bigamy, was further remanded for a week.