POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 199, 24 August 1925, Page 9

POLICE COURT.

.(Before Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M.).

INDECENCY.

Walter Porter (34) was convicted and discharged for being found drunk in Fort Street on Saturday, and for committing a grossly indecent act he was ordered to pay cab hire 2/6 or seven days. ! A FINAL WARNING. i "You are coming up here too often," i siiid Mr. Poynton, to Thomas Martin i (48) who pleaded guilty to being drunk, - but not guilty to another charge of vagrancy. The police stated that accused had ! been hanging about the town the last few days, and had not been working. On the first charge Martin was fined : £3, and on the second he was convicted and discharged. IN A RESTAURANT. Two men, Albert Lewis (21), and George Webster (25) were each charged with fighting in a restaurant on Saturday. Lewis pleaded not guilty while the other man admitted the ofl'encc. Lewis explained that he did not fight at all. Some American sailors came over and struck him. The magistrate imposed a fine of £2 on each accused. ONE HIT WAS ENOUGH. Henry Cahill (32), an Australian aboriginal with long flowing black hair and better known as '"Queensland Harry/ and Ralph Martin Byfield (31) were each charged with fighting in the Civic Square. Byfield. who was bailed after his arrest, <lid not appear. Cahill appeared and pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Calwell said that Byfield. who was drunk at the time, struck Cahill first. Cahill then 6truck the other man and put him out. "One hit was quite enough," added the sergeant. Cahill explained that Byfield and another mnn "butted in" and called him a "black fellow." On being struck by Byfield he simply proceeded to defend himself. Byfield, who had a previous conviction for a breach of the pence, was fined £:!, while C'aliill was convicted and discharged. AFTER HOURS. While patrolling Hobson Street yeeterday, Constable Callaghnn found Michael Brett (20) on the premises of the City Hotel. The licensee informed the constable that accused had made a nuisance of himself in trying to enter his hotel. Brett was fined £1 on the drunkenness charge, and £2 for being found on licensed premises after hours.

ONEHUNGA POLICE COURT.

(Before. Mr. W. R. McKcan, S.M.)

Broke His Pledge.

James Hedle.y promised Mr. McKean a fortnight ago that he would go to work, and upon that condition he was convicted on a charge of being a rogue and a vagabond, and ordered to come up for sentence in six months. Last week Iledloy was arrested at Onehunga for drunkenness, and remanded to Mount Eden for a clean up. When he appeared before Mr. McKean tliis morning he admitted having broken his pledge given on last Court day. Pie was reminded that Mr. McKean had also made a promise at the same time, that if he did not conduct himself properly for six months he would get what was coming to him to the utmost penalty the law allowed. A medical certificate was produced in which (lie opinion was PXpre£se*d that defendant was a confirmed drinker of methylated spirits, and was a fit subject for Rotoroa. Mr. KlcKenir'did not know if he should send Pfedley to the Island, but he would help him to kpep of!" the liquor for the next three weeks, which he would spend in Mount Eden. Hedlcy then answered the constable's salute, and followed him out of Court. Traffic Regulations. Harold Arnold did not appear when charged with driving a motor car past a stationary tram car on June 9, at the junction of Queen and Grey Streets, Onehnnga. The ofTence was proved by Constable Poll, who said that passengers were alighting from the tram car at the time the motor car went past. Defendant was convicted and fined 20/ with 7/ costs. For driving a motor car without a tail light at night 'William Henry Bingley was ■.•rdered to pay 20/ and 7/ costs. Arms Act. John David Keane failed to register a revolver which he had had in his possession for some years. This information was given to the Court by Sergeant J. A. Cruickshank, in the absence of the defendant. Pie further asked that the revolver should be forfeited. This request was granted by Mr. McKean, who also convicted Keane and fined him £3 for the offence. Wandering Horses. Henry Perry, circus proprietor, pleaded guilty to allowing- three horses to wander on Wharf Road, Onehunga. He pleaded in defence that the animals were in charge of an employee. However, they got into the pound. He was convicted and fined 5/ with 17/0 costs. Juvenile Court.

A boy of 12 years of age saw a man's vest hanging on a verandah post, with a watch and chain in the pocket. He had often told his mother that he wanted a watch, and so took this one. The owner of the property missed the articles almost immediately after they were taken, and, knowing that only the boy had been on the verandah b> nee he hung his vest up, he went after him and took him to the police station. Sergeant J. A. Cruickshanlc said the boy threw the watch on to a vacant section when he saw that he was likely to be found out. He afterwards recovered the watch, and returned it to tho owner undamaged. The boy's mother said her son was well behaved, and never went out alone at night except to the Boy Scouts. The magistrate adjourned the case for 12 months, the boy to be under the supervision of the probation orlicer.

A similar order Avas made in the case of another boy -who admitted having stolen a spade valued at ;">/, hut denied taking a handsaw at the same time worth 10/. There was a sad feature ill this case, as the boy tried to put the blame on to another boy who was quite innocent, according to the evidence of Constable Putt, who investigated the allegation at the public school with the headmaster. The spade had been returned, and the boy's father was ordered to make restitution to the owner in the sum of 10/ for the saw.