MAGISTRAIES' COURT

Press, Volume XXV, Issue 3227, 4 January 1876, Page 3

MAGISTRAIES' COURT

CHRISTCHURCH. Monday, January 3. (Before H. P. Murray-Aynsley and R. J. S. Harman, Esqrs, J.P.'s.) Bigamy.—Arthur Edward Upjohn was brought up, on remand, charged "with this offence. Inspector Feast produced a telegram received from the Commissioner of Police at Dunedin, Baying the witnesses in the case could not reach Christchnrch before Wednesday at the earliest. Remanded until the 6th inst. Larceny.—William John, Leigh, charged on warrant with stealing coniferous trees, the property of Mr Wm Wilson, to the vslue of £65, was, at the request of Inspector Feast, remanded until the sth inst. Vagrancy.—Susan Collins, a very old offender, who has been leading a vagrant life for some months past, and who said ehe had Ino home to go to, was sent to prison for 1 three months without hard labour.

Dbfsk ajjd. Disobdebly.—The following

inebriates were dealt with:—Neil McTaggart, lined ss; Frederick Bean, sa; Ellen Talbot, os ; .lames Clarke, £1; and Robert Crowther, £1. John Purcell, also charged with committing an act of indecent exposure, J was fined 40s. LrsAcv from Dkhtk.—William Wheal, Rl -ested on this charge, was remanded until f*rid*.' v ' J* Ireland, who was suffering very nu ,IcI ? from tae effects of drink, and was * ne delusion that he was the Earl of jEnoiskillen, was remanded for eight days for treatment. Violent Assaflt. —Louis Schmidt wae charged with vioientiv assaulting J. A. Dempsy. Constable deposed to cresting the accused on charge of assaulting Mr Btenipsy on the Ferry road with an iron marline spike. Whefl he saw Mr Dempsy blood was streaming down his face, and there was also blood on the iron bar. J. A. Dempey stated that he lived in Fhfflips street, of? the Ferry road. On Saturday night, aboat 10 o'clock, as he was walking in his garden he heard » chdM crying orer the fence, and 1 went to tie spot. He wen* there and saw accused lying , on the ground, and when he ebserved horn , he (accused] jtnnped up and caught hold of his shoulder. He (witness) aaid, " what da you mean you scoundrel*- ,r and pushed him away. Accused then went into his own house, and shortly afterwards* returned through witness's gate, aad strttck '• him o» the forehead with the iron batf'pro*- : duced. Accused then struck him on' the J back of the head, catibing the blood 1 to stream, sard his (witness , )' daughter saw himstrike a third blow. His- two daughters , then.rusheti out and took hold of the accused, and' one of them called to a neigh;hour, who assisted to hold him until a mnn carae and secured him. The'Wtrands we*e fortunately slight, protected no , <fonbt by hishat, but he experienced a feelingJof dizziness in his- head. He had seen Dγ J*rins, who told him the woutids were only slight. Miss Dempsy gave evidence of seeing Ber father and accused , straggling at the end of the garden, when she ran and seized him'by the throat and beard, and assisted by her sister bore him down , into- the coal-box. In the struggle the accused struck her. She saw him strike her father with the weapon , produced. She picked it up, and not knowing what' she- was doing, wiped the blood off it. Mr McAlpine called, stated that on Saturday night he was passing Mr Dtempsy's house, when he beard a female scream; Hβ* went to where he heard it, and saw two mea struggling on the ground. He did not see any blows struck, but he saw the weapon produced picked up covered with blood.. He knew accused some years ago at the Selwyn, and he was then a very quiet, respectable man. Accused was very much intoxicated at the time, and did not seem to know what he was doing. In reply to the Bench,, accused eeid he did not remember anything about the first of the assault. He was very much annoyed by men going to-his house at all hours of the night. The Bench told accused 1 it was fortunate for him that he was not brought up on the charge of murder. The charge had been very savage and unprovoked, bat taking into consideration the good character given him by the last witness he would only be sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment with hard labour.

Wipe Desertion.—Thomas Jack was charged on warrant with deserting his wife and child, on the 15th instant. Mrs Jack stated that accused ordered her out of the house on the 10th December, and told her to go and work for herself. Since that date he had not contributed anything towards her support. Accused said that his wife left him voluntarily on the 10th, and came back on the 15th for her clothes. She had left him to live with her mother. He was willing to take her back, bat he hoped he would not be again troubled with her parents. Case remanded for a week, to allow of some arrangement being made.

LYTTEkTON. MONDAY, JANUARY 3. (Before W. Donald, Esq, 8.M.) Drunk and Disorderly.—Williai* Melbourne for this offence was fined 20s or forty-eight hours' imprisonment; James Hill was dismissed with a cautien. Drunk ani> Assaulting the Police.— Morton Nicholson was fined 20s. Assault. —James Power was charged with assaulting a man named Fitzpatrick. Detective McGorman and Mr Fletcher gave evidence in support of the charge. The Bench sentenced the accused to one month's imprisonment with hard labor. Desertion.—John Walker, a sailor on board the ship Langstone, was sentenced to a month's imprisonment with hard labor for this offence. Attempt to Rescue a Prisoner. — James Snoswell was charged with this offence. The Bench discharged the accused in consequence of his having a good character.