POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 63, 14 March 1918, Page 2

POLICE COURT.

(Before Mr. F. V. Frazer, 8,M.) DRUNKENNESS. Two first offondcrs forfeited 10/ bail each. Alfred Neil, a second offender, was fined 10/ and costs, or 48 days. John Alfred Pryor, for drunkenneee and a third broach of hie order, was fined £2 or seven days. HIS WANDERLUST. Michael Jennings (S3) cuine up, as often before, on a charge of vagrancy. It was stated that lie had been hanging round houses in l'onsonby and Bleeping out, and that ho had a habit of wandering away from any institution to which he might bo committed. He was remanded for a week for medical observation. GAOL FOR ASSAUI/T. As tho eoqticl to a brawl in Fort Street about 5 p.m. yesterday, Alfred Johnson (20), a seaman from the lout steamer Aparima, was charged with assaulting Alfred Aahenden, Bernard McLaughlin, and Constable Barrett, with resisting arrest, and with lieing obscene language. Mr. A. E. Skelton appeared for the defence. Bernard McLaughlin, an elderly man, said that he saw Johnson and Ashendcn (an old man) in conversation outside the Imperial Hotel. Ashenden turned away., and had taken about one step when Johnson knocked him down, hie head striking the pavement heavily. Witness went ovor and caught hold of Johnson, who struck at him more than once before the police arrived. Johnson used language to the police, and made a violent resistance, striking the constable with his fist.

Ashendcn, who gave his ago an 01, said that ho had no recollection of the accused, and could not say who knocked him down. He had juet come out of hospital, and had been drinking. Constable Barrett etated-thut Johnson used obdcenc language, struck him several times on the head with hie fist.. and kicked hie ehlns. He continued to struggle after being handcuffed, and used more obaconc language on the way to the station. Ashonden was made insensible by his fall. Mr. Skclton eaid that he could not put his client into the box. The man had been drinking heavily, and remembered no more than he "countered" the old man. Johnson was given a good character by hie shipmates, and had Buffered considerable privations in tho past. He was under orders to leave at once by steamer for l'ort Chalmers. Counsel suggested that a fine would meet th« case. Senior-Sergeant Wohlmann stated that Johnson had been sentenced at Dunedin early in IDIC on a similar charge. Ho was very ashamed, and contrite when he found that he had struck the old man. The Magistrate enid that his language showed that Johnson was sober enough to know that it was a constable he was Bseaultlng. Ho would agree to vary tho language charge to one of using merely indecent language. The man was not suffering from shell shook, but had simply got fighting drunk, and his previous term of imprisonment had not been a lesson to him. The offence could not be passed over with a fine. Johnson would be sentenced to one month's* imprisonmont on one charge, and on the others he would be convicted and discharged. The magistrate commended McLaughlin's pluck in tackling Johnson aftor the latter had knocked Aehendcn down. Aehonden, whose head was bandaged, wan convicted and discharged fg£ drunkenness. ■TABLE BOYS' PASTIME. •A youth named Charles Hogg (Mr A. Moody) admitted that lie was One of three stable boys who had found amusement by throwing stonee out of * horsebox on the train journey to the Te Aroha races, ami that possibly it vac a stone thrown by him that hit an old man on the el'bvvr, inflicting a wound. He wa ß fined £2, half the fine to go to the victim. MI&CELLAMCOUa. Patrick Keiui (on remand) was further remanded to appear at Pukekohe on March 21 on charges of using obscene language and making a disloyal utterance in the main street of Pukekohe on March 11. Louis Christian wae fined 5/ and 7/ costs for driving if motor car in the city without an efficient tail light. The Waitcmata County Council secured convictions against Charlee John Mills for keeping an unri>gietcrcd dog and using an unlicensed wagon on the county roads. The defendant, who declared thefc the dog was not hie, and that he objected to the vehicle license becauee the Council failed to keep the roade in order, was fined 5/ on tho first charge and 10/ on the second, with a total of 50/ coste.