MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14583, 6 February 1913, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before Mr AY J. Ncate, J.P., and Mr K. Matheson, J.P.) DRINK. Four male first offenders were each . fined ss, in default twenty-four hours' imprisonment for drunkenness. FALSE PRETENCES. Charles Edward pleaded not guilty to having obtained board to the value of ! 21s from Cecil Humphreys by false pre- '• tenees. alleging wrongly that he was : town traveller for W. J. Watson, a jeweller. Accused was convicted, lined 20s. and ordered to pay the hotel ; bill, in default seven days' imprison- '< ment. BY-LAW CASK. For cycling on the footnath Ernest Frank Matthew. Clifford Keinj), William James Biggs. John Barron and Charles Edward Burdekiu, were each fined 7s and costs. For cycling at night without a light George Pitcher was fined 5s and costs. Similarly enraged. Creswell G. Delamain. Win. (lowiman, Robt. Steel, Robt. McKay. Herbert Robinson. Walter V. Mansfield, Marshall Robinson. Richard Young and Robt. P» rem nan! a motor-cyclist, were each fined 10s and costs. Leonard Gicsler. for having driven an un-ighted cab at night, was fined 10s and costs. i William Henry was fined 5= for allow- ' ing a horse to wander on tho Riccarton road. "" | CROSS PROSECUTIONS. | Ruby Pearl Gray applied for sureties ' of the pence against Arthur Thompson; ' Charles Isaac Leigh applied for sureties of the peace against*! lezekiah Tur- ; U'-r. and charged him with assault, 'lezokiah Turner charged Ruby Pearl Gray and Charles Isaac Leigh with assault. Mr Leathern appeared for T.eigh and Gray, and Mr Donnelly for Turner. From a very great deal of evidence it seemed that the parties were Sydney fruit hawkers. It appeared that Turner went to Leigh's place to ask about some scales. A terrific battle followed, lasting periods estimated vaguely from five minutes to half an hour. Contradictory evidence ■suggested that the two men and tho lady were all tangled in tho fight, sho using an iron bar.

The application by Mrs Gray was withdrawn by leave of the Court, and 'ho other matters were dismissed.

ALLEGED FALSE PRETENCES

Thomas Halsall was charged with having obtained goods valued at £13 15s fid. by means of false pretence. Mr Hunter appeared for accused. Harry B. Oakey deposed that accused came to his shoo and held himself out as being authorised to purchase goods lor the Veterans' Association's bazaar. Later ho came back and offered to get a guarantee :'f required. Ho did not sny that ho held any position in tho Veterans' Association, but only that he was a member of the Association. After the bazaar had been held accused came to witness's shop, said the- bazaar had not been a saicccss, and it would be repeated. He asked witness to wait. Witness stifi believed all was right, and agreed to this course. To Mr Hunter: Accused had .down a subscription list, but witness had not noted the names on it. Witness had not boon told merely that accused was authorised to run a stall at the bazaar. Witness had never asked accused for payment. Accused had come in and had 'said that ho had a lot of goods at homo and would mako a I:st of them and see witness in the morning about paying for them. Had tho account been pad no more would have been (heard of the matter. Henry George Bailey, auctioneer's clerk to Harris Bros., gave evidenco as to sales effected for accused.

George Nelson Creswell, secrotarv to the Veterans' Association, deposed that accused was a member of tho Association, but had not been authorised to purchase any goods for the bazaar, at which bo had assisted. Later accused took complete charge of a jumble stall, and was to give the Association all taken above expenses. The Association had received nothing. To Mr Hunter: Tho arrangement was that he was to purchase the goods where ho l'ked. the profits of sale to go to tho Association. Detective Gibson stated that before tho information was laid he had seen accused, who said he had sold most of the goods, and lived on tho proceeds, because 'ho was hard up. Accused had stated that there were two cases of goods of his at Harris Bros., but witness could not recover any of them. Mr Hunter said that Halsall had made it clear to Oakey that he was getting the goods on his own responsibility. The debt was merely a civil one, and should not have been brought into a criminal court. Evidence of a nature corroborative of this was given by accused. The accused pleaded not guilty, and was committed" to the Supreme Court for trial.

Accused was further charged that, during the month of November, 1912, ho obtained from I>. Benjamins, Ltd., Christchurch. fancy goods to the valuo of £43 10s Sd by moans of a false pretence, saying that they wero for tho Veterans' Association bazaar, and that Cresswell. tho secretary, would pay for thorn.

Jacob Davis, J. W. Clark, B. Maclachlnn, H. G. Bailey, G. N. Cresswell, and Detective Bishop gave evidence in support of tho charge. Accused pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, and was"committed for trial, bail plowed, self in £50 and one surety of £50.