THE COURTS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17060, 3 February 1921, Page 5

THE COURTS.

* MAGISTERIAL. WEDNESDAY. (Before Mr V. G. Day, S.M.) DRUNKE'NNESS. A male first offender, for having been fonud drunk) was fined sb. James Alexander GibBon, on a charge of having been found helplessly drunk, was convicted and ordered to pay 883 expenses. DISTURBANCE AT THE OPERA HOUSE. Charles Sisson (Mr F. W. Johnston) was charged with having used obscene language and with baring disturbed the audience at i.ho Opera House on the night of January 15th. Senior-Sergoant C. W. Kelly stated tliat accused hod called out during the performance and created a disturbance, to the annoyance of those present. The police were called in and removed the accused. Hi Johnston said that accused was a very respectable man, and counsel had a letter from llr G. Witty, M.P., testifying to accused's Cood choraiter. Sisson had run down in health, and had taken some drink, and his wife, thinking to change tho trend •of his V.onlt .took hyn to Pullers. Accused had no :'C collect ion of iisin«r offensive language. Counsel asked tliat the matter b* treated (is •me offence. After hearing the evidence of the barrier attendant at the Opera House, tho MagiettraJ'} sard that bad language in any publio place could not be tolerated, ai.d fined accused 40s on the first charge and dismissed the second. . ALLEGED THEFT. Leonard Owens (Mr C. S. Thomas) pleaded not guilty to a charge of the theft of some timbon, valued at £i, from J. J. Westgarth, Accused stated that Mr Westgarrth's foreman had told him to take the timber to his (accused's) house, and ho had done so, and had written Mt Westgarth's name- on it. After evidence..'bad been heard, the charge wag dismissed. CRUELTY TO A COW. Edward Haldane, who was proceeded against by D. J. White, Inspector for the S.P.C.A., pltaded , guilty to a, charge of cruelty to a cow by hobbling its forelegs He was convicted and ordered to pay costs, 15s. UNREGISTERED PLUMBERS. William Dean, on the information of Mark Kershaw, Sanitary Inspector, pleaded "guilty, with extenuating circumstances," to a charge of having knowingly employed an unregistered plumber to do certain sanitary plumbing. He was 'fined 10s and ordered to pay 7s costs. Bertfc. Vernon Wilson, Dean's employee, was fined Ss for laving don© sanitary plumbing work, being an unregistered plumber. ALLEGED DANGEROUS DRIVING. Maurioe John Russell (Mr A. R. Kirk) pleaded not guilty to a chaTge of having tlriven a motor-car in a dangerous manner. After the evidence of the police and of defeirdaniti waa heard'the charge was dismissed "without prejudice." (Before Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M.) THEFT OF PETROL. Lan Ayson (Mr R. Twynehan) waß ch'argod with having, on January 21st, broken and entered the petrol store of C. Wright Brothers, Ltd.. garage proprietors, and with having stolen a case, of petrol, valued alt £1 15s 6d. Clive Wright, a director of the company, gave evidence as to the broiiking and entering, and rdentified the petrol. De-toctlve-Seiigeant D. Connolly stated that on January 28th he caw accused walking along Montreal street, carrying a case of petrol on his ahoalder. Accused first stated that he had got Jt from his brother, a taxi-driver, but afterwards, admitted that this was a tale, and that he had in his possession a key that opened complainant's* petrol store. Accused pleaded gritty, fl&d was committed to th» Supreme Court for sen'tenoe. The Magistrate. . in refusing hail, eaid that In the present case and in future cases of prisoners committed for sentence bail would be refused. ALLEGED THEFT. Join William deary (Mr H. J. Raphael) was oharged with having, about November. 1920, stolen four hoifte covers, valued at £6, the property of Thoe, Turnbull Robson. Evidence was given by Francis Hy. Robson as to the horse covers (which he identified) having been missed from the stable. Detec-tive-Sergeant Connolly stated that v?hen, as the result of a search of accused's house, Ithe horse covers were found, accused stated that a man had brought thein to the house, but he refused to give the man's name. Accused was further oharged with having, in October, 1810, stolen a quantity of chain and two swingletrecß, of a total value of £22, the property of Booth, Macdonald. Ltd. Evidence in support of the charge waa given. Accused pleaded not guilty to botn charges, and was committed for Kirial. He was allowed bail in hi» own recognisance of £SO. SENTENCE AGAIN DEFERRED. Jean Brown (Mr W. J. Hunter) was brought up for sentenc* to respect of a oharge of keeping ft house of ill-fame, on 'which she was found guilty in August last, end was admitted to probation. Counsel raised the question of the Magistrate's jurisdiction to impose 'sentence in respect -of an offence which Siad now ceased to be an of-fence—-the war legulation making the keeping of a "one woman brothel" an offence having been repealed. His Worship said that he had no doubt regarding his jurisdiction,. Senior-Sergeant C. W. Kelly called evidence to show that since her conviction accused's conduct had not improved. Mr Hunter called evidence in rebuttal His Worship did not consider that there waa sufficient evidence in support of the police contention that i-htre had been no improvement in the woman's conduct, and again deferred passing sentence. IN OTHER~PLACES. OHARGE AGAINST A SHIP'S OFFICER. (press association teltbobam.) WELLINGTON, February.2. Edward William Turner, whoj came to Wellington, ae second- engineer of th* American steamer Bell Rock, was charged with (a) discharging a pistol at Owen Collins on the Queen's Wharf, with intent to do grievous bodily harm-; (b) presenting a firearm at Collins; (c) discharging a firearm without reasonable cause; (d) being drunk while in possession of a firearm; and (e) carrying a revolver for other than a sufficient and proper purpose. The< case was to have been heard a few days ago, but the principal witness, Colling, could not be found. Ha appeared to-day, but has mind was a blank as to occurrences on the day of the shooting. . He said he was so drunk that he should have been locked up. Another witness said he saw tho accused, in uniform, come through tho wharf gates, Collins walking a few yards behind him. Turner, who was noticeably drunk, presented a pistol at Collins's feet twice and fired. Corroborative evidence was given. The Bench held that the evidence did not show intention on the part of accused to do any harm. The action apparently waa that of a drunken man. The first charge waa dismissed. On the third charge a fine of £5 was imposed, and on the others, convictions were recorded without penalties. Turner was also ordered to pay costs in charges b, o, d, and e. This case was the first to be laid in the Dominion under the new Arms Act. (PBESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) OAMARU, February 2. The first criminal sittings of the Supreme Court in Oamaru for some years opened today. Two youths, Arthur Ryder and Lejhe Herbert, seamen, who pleadid guilty to having wilfully set fire to an unoccupied cottage, were convicted and released on probation for three years, being ordered to make reparation at the rate of ISs and 10s a week respectively. Louisa Hanky, a single woman of 25 years, pleaded guilty to having broken and entered the residence of Thomas Watson, and stolen goods to. the value of £43 16s id. Sentence was deferred, pending the hearing of other charges. The accused was further charged with breaking l and entering the house of Frank VennalL. and stealing goods valued at £ll 6s 6d. She pleaded "not guilty." It was submitted by the defence that the articles were givea by Vennall to the accused -as presents. The Sty returned a verdict of not guilty. Andrew cOabe pleaded "guilty" to a charge of indecent assault on a girl twelve years of age, and was ordered to be detained for reformative treatment for a period' not exceeding five years.