CHRISTCHURCH.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10032, 10 May 1898, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH.

Monday, May 9. (Before E. Smibh, W. W. Tanner, and —

Stewart, Esqra., J.P.'e.)

Indecent Language.—Joseph Haughton and Harry Wilson were charged with having used . indecent language .in Migh street on Saturday evening, and pleaded not guilty. Charles Louisson (Mayor of Christchurch) deposed that the two men and another young man were passing along the street arm in arm and lurched purposely up against him. On his expostulating they used indecent language. There, was a crowd in the street. Witness met Mr Ballin and they walked behind them until they found a policeman. Witness arrested one of the men and the constable a second, but the third got away. He did not want to press the charge particularly. The elder prisoner (Haughton) was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment, the younger discharged with a caution.—Ernest Linda and Arthur Johns were charged with having respectively used indecent language and behaved in a manner calculated to provoke a breach of the peace. Mr Donnelly appeared for the former and Mr Kippenberger for the latter. The Bench said they muet stop these cases. It would be as "well to point out to all young men who went about the streets on a Saturday night that if they used language of this kind they were liable to a year's imprisonment under the Act. The decision of the Bench was that Linda, who appeared to have acted in a drunken and disorderly manner, should be sentenced to a months' imprisonment. Johns, who seemed to have acted under extreme provocation, would be discharged. Alleged Vagrancy.—Frank Reeves was charged with being an idle and disorderly person without visible means of support. Mr Donnelly asked for a remand, as the accused was not ready to go on with his defence. The case was adjourned till Wednesday.