THE COURTS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18151, 14 August 1924, Page 3

THE COURTS.

MAGISTERIAL. WEDNESDAY. (Before Messrs J. H. Seagcr end S. C. Binghnm, J.lVs.) , ' DRUNKENNESS. A . statutory first offender and fined 20s, in default 43 hours'' imprisonment. (Before Mr Wyvern "Wilson, S.JL) MAINTENANCE. Thomas Gcorgo Flynn was charged with the disobedience of a maintenance, orior. Tho case was dismissed for vrant of proscoution. REMANDED. Jessie Lavinii Stevenson, 83 years of age, was remanded to appear in iho Supreme Court on a charge of-having failed to comply ■with tho terms of her releaso upon probation. TWO CHARGES.

Mary Joyce, alias Jones, 59 years of age, appeared for sentence on a chargo of'having attempted to commit suicide while in a police cell. She was further charged with having stolen the sum of £3. the property of Archibald Purdie Smith, clerk, Dunedin. The accused was arrested last Friday night on a charge of theft, an! wh'le eho was in the police cell she attempted to take her life by tieing a piece of tap? around her throat. Tho evidence of the chief witness wxis to the effect that the accused had spc.'cen to him near the King George Hotel, pnd together they had walked towards Lat'mcr square. , After witness left tho accused he discovered that his wallet, which contained £B, wns missinsr Ho ran after the woman and charged Eer with the theft of his money. She denied all know'edgo < f the money and said that she had nevor seen him before, but wi'.n ss lnnded the ac used over to the police cms!able who had been summoned by a passer-by. .Tovce said that slip had lx-en drinks? in the King George Hotel and had stood very near Smith; She left the hotel "a bit drunk," and Smith followed her outs'do and spoko to her. She-continued on her way, and finally sat down on a seat in Latimer square. Smith appeared on tho scene and fell on the ground near her. Ho asked her to. direct him to the King George Hotel, and after she had done so he left her, and it was then that she found £8 jurrt about where he had been lying. The Magistrate Raid it was the sajne old story. Accused's list of previous convictions showed that she had been found gu 'ty of drunkenness, vagrancy, sol cit ng, etc., and ho considered ths proper course to adopt in the case v/as to impose a term of imprisonment. Accused was convicted and sentenced to three months' imprisonment in the Addington Gaol on the the r t chprge, and on ike charge of having attempted to commit suicide she was convicted and discharged without penalty. YOUNG MAN IN-TROUBLE.

Henry Pcroival Browne, 13 years of age, appeared for sentence on a charge of having stolen a man's overcoat, valued at £3, the property of Alfrad McConnall. Accused said he had no intention of stealing the coat; he just wanted to borrow it.' ■ ' ' ■ , . The Magistrate said that • after having,heard the evidence for the police on' Saturday last (when the carae was'first brought before the Court), he had had grave doubts about accepting the man's plea of guilty on the charge of theft. To him it seemed as if the accused had only taken tho coat from a boardinghouse to impress h:s lady love, who lived in the coun.ry. After he had used the coat he had telephoned the owner, stating that the coat would be returned 1 to him. Browne's behav.our was quite consistent with, that .of a man who had only intended to borrow another mans Worship allowed the accused to withdraw his plea of guilty, which he had given on Saturday, and. dism.s,ed tho case.

IN OTHER PLACES. DAMAGES FOR DEFAMATION. (PBESS' ASSOCIATION TELEGBAM.) AUCKLAND, August- 13: In the Supreme Court, Mabel Jackson sued Arthur- Hatch and his wife, claiming £SOO for defamation of character. „„^^ Plaintiff a married woman, who worked for her living, received an open picture postcardof: a Bonier■."and a,. girl at; the entrance to. a-.shop exhibiting ladies' underwear, while on. the.*placard of n> passing sandwich man wre printed the words; "Don't Bpead-yonr money on useless clothes. Do .without. Added in writing. were other wor<fi. , - Evidence was' given that Mrs Hatch, on request, was : given the postcard in question by a friend, and that she had posted it. After hearing the -evidence of- a handwriting expert, the jury returned a verdict for £25 damages.

WRONGFUL CONVERSION. (PEESS ASSOCIATION TELEGBAM.) NEW- PLYMOUTH, August 18. At the Supreme Court. Cyril Louijr Wilson* on a second trial, was found -guilty on a charge of converting £l9O. the moneys of WiWs Motors, Ltd., of which he was managing director,-to his own nee, and. not guilty on a similar charge relating to £2O. Sentence was deferred till Saturday.