POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 300, 18 December 1926, Page 11

POLICE COURT.

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

FRIENDS FALL OUT.

A fight was in progress at the entrance to the railway station about six o'clock last evening when a constable happened along and gathered in the contestants, Stanley Gibson Condon (28), and Robert John Burns (33), on charges of fighting.

Condon pleaded not guilty, stating that he merely defended himself. Burns admitted the offence.

Condon added that he and Burns were friends. Yesterday, while in an hotel, Burns asked him to shout. "When I refused, Burns put up his hands, so I just had to defend myself, as far as I can remember." "Well, I hope you are friends now. j You must not fight in the street," said the magistrate, who fined both men fl 10/. GIVEN A CHANCE. Two young men, Leslie Fortescue Lumby and Cecil William Pickett, who had previously pleaded guilty to charges of having obtained accommodation to the extent of 8/9 at the Waitemata Hotel by fraud, appeared for sentence. Senior Sergeant Edwards said that neither accused had been in trouble before. They had come to Auckland in search of work from the South Island and got stranded here. Captain Davies, of the Salvation Army, had offered to take an interest in them. Each was convicted and ordered to come up f°r sentence within 12 months, and to pay S/9 to the hotel licensee. A WAY THEY HAVE IN THE BUSH. Edward Henry Alcock (20), for whom Mr. McLiver appeared, pleaded guilty, when charged with stealing £2 15/ in money, the property of H. Osborne. Chief Detective Cummings said that complainant and accused had been working together at the Great Barrier. A dispute arose between them over a store account and Alcock went into Osborne's house and took the money. Mr. McLiver said that Osborne owed accused the money and refused to pay him, at the same time telling Alcock that he would not get it out of him. "So Alcock took the law of the bush into his own hands and went in and got the money," said counsel, who added that accused had never been in any trouble before and did not realise that he was committing theft. Accused was fined £1, and ordered to repay the money to Osborne. OVER £200 IN ARREARS. Arrears amounting to £201 9/3, on a maintenance order for the support of four children in the care of the State, were admitted by Albert James Parker (37), who was charged with failing to keep the terms of the order.

It was stated by Chief Detective Cummings that Parker would not pay. The police had been looking for him since July last, when the warrant was issued. Parker had served several terms of imprisonment for failure to comply.

"Have you made up your mind not to pay?" asked Mr. McKean.

Accused replied that he had not been in regular work.

Mr. McKean: Well, it is more than two years ago since you paid anything. Since then you have served four terms of six months' imprisonment for breaches of the order. All I can do is to impose a similar penalty now. Six months."

CHIJ-BREN'S COURT. STOLE TWOPENCE. Caught in the act of stealing twopence from the clothes of a bather in the Shelly Beach baths, a lad of ten years of age came before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., and Mrs. N. E. Ferner, at the Children's Court this morning.

Sergeant Calwell said a man had lost money one day, so the following day he set a trap by leaving two pennies in his clothes, and the boy was caught. There was a lot of this petty pilfering going on, but the case before the Court was only a trivial one.

Mr. J. S. Cupit, the juvenile proba- | tion officer, said the lad belonged to a very respectable family. It was not suggested that the money that had been lost on the previous day had been taken by this lad. It was thought that the thefts were being committed by older boys. The lad was admonished and discharged. AWAY FROM HOME. A lad of 13A answered two charges 01 converting bicycles to his own use at Auckland, three charges of stealing fl, one charge of stealing 6/, one charge of stealing £1 1/, two charges of breaking and entering shops (one at Hamilton and one at Ngaruawahia) and stealing £2 and cigarettes, and a further charge of converting a bicycle valued at £4 10/, to his own use. The charges of breaking and entering were reduced to common theft so that they could be dealt with in the Children's Court. Detective-Sergeant O'Brien said that the parents of the lad were highly respec- ' table. It was not suggested that he was likely to develop into a criminal. Mr. J. S. Cupit said that the boy could not have a better home. He had been punished severely by his father. The magistrate said that he could not imagine the boy being under better supervision than that of his own home. He would be ordered to make restitution of £5 9/. The boy gave an undertaking that his future behaviour would be good. He was admonished and discharged. OBSCENE LANGUAGE. A charge of using obscene language was brought against a lad of 14. Mr. Cupit said that during the last five years other members of the boy's family had been before the Court. It was suggested that the boy was not under proper control. The mother: I've never heard him use any bad language. I don't know much about him. Mr. Cupit: No, that's just the trouble. The Court placed the lad under the supervision of the juvenile probation officer for two years.