POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 292, 7 December 1923, Page 8

POLICE COURT.

(Before Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M.) THREE MEN IN A LANE. There were five men, really, but Con- ' stable Mackenzie did very well to get I three of them. They were drinking beer t and singing in Victoria Lane, and the I police were telephoned to come and stop ■ the nuisance, at half-past eight one evening. "It's better to sing tnaft use vile • language," said the magistrate, "and " they wouldn't wake anyone up at that ! hour." The defendants —Herbert John Morley ' (42), Charles Nelson (40) and Edmund ' Burke (50) —were eacli fined 20/. • ! EXPENSIVE TRAVELLING. • I James Reid, a young man, wa? ' travelling between Papakura and Eller- ' slie on an expired ticket, and he gave a wrong name and address to the guard. For this he was lined 20/, and for having ! travelled without a ticket on a ferryboat between Devonport and Auckland ' (he told the skipper of the ferry to go I to a warmer climate when asked for hi? , fare, though he afterwards offered to . pay it), he was fined likewise, with the , addition of 33/ #osts. : DIRTY BAKING PREMISES. The Inspector of Factories proceeded against A. E. Thomas, a baker, of Do- , minion Koad, alleging dirty premises, when it was stated that the place was in "an absolutely filthy condition," not only in tlie bakehouse but elsewhere. Dr. ' Boyd stated that the place was in a very bad condition. There was nothing clean on the premises, and no attempt, apparently, had been made to clean up ' for some time. •1 In response to a statement by Mr. .Ormond Butler that defendant had only : heen a few months ill the place, after finding it in very bad condition upon arrival, the inspector said the premises under the former proprietor had been found to be in a. satisfactory state. It was after Thomas took over that the place was found in an unsatisfactory condition. Defendant declared that he had been having the premises renovated ever since he took over spending several hundreds of pounds on the job. When the place was inspected, it was all "upside down" on account of the whitewashing in progress. A fine of £2 was imposed. GOING TO MOTHER'S FARM. A very youthful-looking man named Wilfred Bland, whose age was said to be 24, but who did not appear to be more than about 16, pleaded guilty to the theft of a book, 2/ in money, and an electric torch, the property of his employers, Geddes and Blomfield. It was stated by Mr. C. A. Snedden that defendant's" mentality was such that he I could not be employed in the city in any position more responsible than that of a messenger boy, and that his mother would put him to work on her poultry farm and look after him. Bland was placed on probation. "THINKS HE'S T. L. SULLIVAN."

f "THIrIK.H HE a J. I*. auti-nAfl. ; When a deaf youth under the age of , ie --'«.' Wlty 1o a ehnrere of threat- » en ing behaviour, it was stated that he t ..... ...i.....iii; a<. ii |Hitu.e siiovv in the j Foresters' Hall. Birkenhead, and when 1 requested to put the cigarette out, he 1 aimed a blow at the doorkeeper, nnd » had to be put out. Detective O'Urien \ declared that he knew that the youth , seemed rather fond of fighting nnd th? 1 constable from Birkenhead corroborated. . "He's* been taking lessons in boxing and t thinks he's John L. Sullivan," said the ! constable. The pugnacious youth was ordered to come up for sentence in j twelve months. > BILLIARD ROOM ARGUMENT. 1 A squabble in a Victoria Street billiard room was the cause of charges against Leonard and Reginald Griffin that they assaulted Albert Jones, a marker in the saloon, and a further charge against Leonard Griffin of having obtained 6/6 by menaces, witli intent to steal. Evidence was given by Jones and others that in the course of a game of pool Len. Griffin accidentally knocked a star pin over with his cue, i and the marker (Jones) said he had I " burst." Griffin protested, but Jones > held to his point, and the others . knocked off. Then Griffin claimed the pool of G/0, while Jones wanted to .' return each player his money. They . had words; a scuffle ensued, in which , Keg. Griffin joined in, to strike Jones. t For the defence, Len. Griffin denied touching Jones, and Reg. Griffin said he r struck the marker because of a name I applied to his brother. Jones handed - over the money to Len. Griffin. I The magistrate remarked that the '. : charge of obtaining cash by threat could not be sustained, as there was not •' an intent to steal, but he was satisfied '■ that both accused had assaulted Jones. ' The threat charge was dismissed, and on '' the assault charge each of the Griffins ' was fined £5 and 50/ costs. ; WHAT COULD HE DO? In a charge of threatening behaviour 1 brought against E. W. Minter and ■ , Albert Henry Hall, evidence was gi«m iof a neighbour's squabble. Hall admitted he had stepped over a fence into the road when the other man challenged, in answer to the magistrate. "What clee was a man to do? My wife lost her temper, and she said, 'Alf, if you don't hit him I will.'" (Laughter.^ !"You knocked one of his teeth out," I said Mr. Inder—"Did I ? Well I was ; mnre lucky than I thought I was," said , Hall. The charge against Minter was ' dismissed, and that against Hall (Mr. > Hogg) was also dismissed upon pay-, ment of costs. j YOUTH IN TROUBLE. • - A lad aged 16* years, was remanded for a week on. a charge of having broken [ into the house of Bessie McCallum and stolen goods valued at £2 16/. It was ; stated by Senior-Detective .Hammond j that there were 12 or 14 other charges to be preferred against the lad who was already at liberty on probation. MISCELLANEOUS. A number of registered companies I were fined 20/ for carrying on business i without a renewal of their annual license. Most of the failures in this re-psct 1 were merely due to oversight, but Mr. I Hubble, who prosecuted on behalf of the Crown Solicitor, said the necessity for renewal of licences immediately in ■ expiry needed emphasising. In a pros- ■ ecution hrough by Inspector G. R. Hogan | against G. R. Hosking for dangerous '. driving, it was stated that defendant drove along Gittos Street, Parnell, at the rate of 40 miles an hour, colliding with a motor truck. So great was the ' impact that the motor car was turned ' right around, and the defendant was I very fortunate in escaping serious in--1 jury. Defendant was convicted and fined £7. with Posts totalling 43/. In- } 1 spectof Hogan also proceeded against R. ' ,' H. Johnston for hawking, without a I license, and defendant was fined £2 with ■ , • costs. John Reid (Mr. R. E. N. , Ma thews), was oredered to come up for ' sentence if called on for having trespassed on Epsom racecourse, he being a ' prohibited person, and William Preston ' t (Mr. Dickson), was fined £5 to a similar ' ] offence. ■ '■