MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10867, 17 January 1901, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

DRUNKENNESS. A first offending inebriate was given the usual alternative, 5s or 24 hours, by Messrs W. H. Cooper and W. Ward, yesterday. INDECENCY. James Smith pleaded "Not guilty" to a charge of indecent exposure, but the offence was proved, and accused was sentenced to tlireo months' imprisonment, with hard labour. BICYCLE TROUBLES. For riding their bicycles on the footpaths,

Elsie Fuller and Charles Thomas were fined each 10s and costs. Thomas Guy and John Frederick Recce suffered th- same penalty, for riding after dark without lights. OTHER BY-LAW CASKS. George' Saunders was fined 5s and costs for driving a vehicle through town at night without lamps. Alice Kavunagh was fined 10s without costs for keeping an unrc.<;i-lcred dog. A TANGLED STORY. A dispute occurred recently between Samuel McCormick and John Hern, both members of n Lodgei, who curried a banner between them in tha Jubile- procession. In the evening they paid a visit to the Star and Garter Hotel, where th.y quarrelled as to their precedence in ths Lodge. McCormick declared that he ayus of the arch purple grade, and the other, to prove this false, threw a knife on ths floor, and asked him to pick it up and hand it to him in the peculiar manner of that- order. _ When McCormick tried to do so, Hern said, "Why, my baby boy could do the thing as w'oll as that,'*', unci the two quarrelled. Hern, it was alleged, chased McCormick down the street and struck him on the head. Evidence was given to the effect that afterwards _he entered the house where McCormick, with his wife and brother, were quiet.y sittintr. and struck him on the head again. McCormicK went to the Police Station and brought bad- Constable- Wade, who quiet-ened-things down by threatening to arrest all conc-rned, and then Mt. Hern came back again, when McCormick and his brother followed him out, and chased him round tho house, while Mrs McCormick shouted, "Give it to him, Sam." Yesterday McCormick prosecuted lin; alleged a;-..u.-uit for assault, A mass of contradictory evidence was lmird, eliciting nothing but confusion. McCormick's most pathetic evidence was a.hloodsplashed shirt, uli'ch was displayed in Court, but the effect of which was dimmed by the fact that he h-id hud ins coat on at" the tiim, and it was hard to -see how tho splashes got ther... FmaLy their Worships dismissed ihe cairn, each side being ordered to pay its own costs. At Lvttelton yesterday. Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., fined two" first offenders 5s each, with the usual alternative. Their offenea was drunkenness.