THE COURTS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18263, 23 December 1924, Page 5

THE COURTS.

MAGISTERIAL. MONDAY. (Before Mr Wyvern "Wilson, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. A male first offender was convicted and fined 10a, in default 48 hours' imprisonment. A female statutory first offender was convicted and fined ss, in default 24 hours' imprisonment. A male statutory first offender, 60 years of age, was convicted and fined 10s. in default 48 hours' imprisonment. George Alfred Pepper, a young man, who had been convicted earlier in the month, pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness and to a further charge of laving cast offensive matter in a public place. Accused was convicted and fined 20s, in default 43 hours' imprisonment, on the first charge, and on tho second he was convicted and discharged. ' COPPERSMITH'S CHIMES. Harry Albert Griffiths, a middle-aged man, pleaded guilty to five charges of having stolen, lead of a total value of £l4 2s 6d, the property of Vale and Co., plumbers, Christchurch. Chief-Detective T. Gibson said that the accused, who was a first-class coppersmith, had .come to Christchurch from Wellington about five weeks ago and worked'for Vale and Co. for about two weeks. The refit of the tima he had spent. in drinking. On Saturday night he was arrested by a constable, who found him stealing the lead, which he intended to Dell to a second-hand dealer. lie then confessed that he had stolen lead previously, and had sold it to a second-hand dealer. He was convicted in Wellington once for drunkenness, but nothing else was known about him. Vale and Co. weri willing to take him back into' their employ if his Worship would give him a chance.

Griffiths was admitted .to probation for two years. Speoial conditions were he should .take ijfcut a prohibition order against himself each year, and that he paid back the value of the lead to Vale and Co. at the rate of £2 a week from his wages, which were £6. MAINTENANCE. Arthur Richardson Theodore BrUmden, 45 years of age (Mr J. B. Batckelor), pleaded not guilty to «• charge of having failed lo maintain his wife. - _ The evidence revealed the fact that the defendant had bought a steamer ticket for Melbourne, had realised all but oft© of his assets, and hstfl deposited all his money, amounting to over £SOO, in a Melbourne Jjank. His Worship made a maintenance order in-respect of the wife for £2 a week. Ho also ordered that the aocused should deposit £2OO with the Publio Trustee for his wife to work on within 24 hours. "Would yopr Worship increase the time to seven days?" asked Mr Batchelor. "No," said the Magistrate, "I wouldn t trust him more than. 24 hours. (Before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M.) CIVIL CASE. Alfred Winterlxrarn, builder, Brown'e road, St. Albans (Mr F. W. Johnston), ckimed from C. H. Craythorne, retired farmer, Upper Riccarton (Mr O. T. J. Alpers), the sum of £66 10s, alleged to be due for work done and goods supplied lit the premises of the defendant, situate in Heaton street, St. Alban9. Craythorne counter-claimed for £197 Os 4d for alleged failure to out work as agreed upon. Included in this amount was £35 alleged general damages. Judgment was given for Winterboura on the claim for £l2 14s and costs. On the counter-claim judgmpnt was given for Craythorne for £7O 5s and oosts. RESERVED JUDGMENT. Reserved judgment was given in the case in which Matthew Park and_ Co., Ltd., taxi proprietors, Christchurch,, claimed from John James Staples, salesman, Riccarton road Riccarton, the mm of £97 €s Bd,» alleged damages to a Hudson Sedan car owned by the company, and driven by one of its servants, Robert Cedric Robinson, in a collision with Staples's Dodge car on May 3rd last, at the intersection of Lincoln and Clarence roads. , Robinson the driver, alleged that the collision was due to the defendant s negligent driving, and in particular in cutting: a corner instead of going round the point o£ mfiled a counter-claim for £lO 12s Gd In evidence he said the collision wxs caused by the negligent and unskilful management by Robinson, and "in particular in dnvV at an excessive spred, and not s, the claim and for the company on the counter-claim.

Field-Marshal Lord Plumer, who on October Ist unveiled a memorial stone to the 24th Division in Battersea Park will always be associated with the ''Great Push" of 1917. ft was his brilliant generalship that Messines llidge—that tamous height which the Germans came to reganl as impregnable. Preparations for the. attack on the Ridge occupied 12 montl»&, and were on a colossal scale. The biggest task of the engineers was a system or tunnelling, .which, _ . penetrating below the enemy's position, was carefullv mined. In all there Tier & live miles of tunnelling, and €OO tons of explosives were used. Plumer s losses were very small, but among the fallen Major Willie Redmond, 31.P., and Captain Albert Ball, the famous airman.