THE COURTS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19841, 31 January 1930, Page 9

THE COURTS.

MAGISTERIAL. THURSDAY. (Before Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M.) INSULTING LANGUAGE. For using insulting language in a public place Gordon Percy Aston (Mr W. a. Tracy) was fined £2 and costs 14s. Senior-Sergeant Shanahan said that Aston arrived at the Bower Hotel at 11.15 p.m. on December 11th. when the licensee and his wife were in bed. He knocked loudly at the door and Mrs Patterson, the wife o£ tne licensee, put her head out of the window and asked what he wanted. He demanded accommodation, and was told to go away. Mr Patterson also came to the window and Aston asked for drinks. He was told he could not get any and was again asked to go away. Aston kept making a noise and went to tne yard and started rolling empty beer barrels around. Mr Patterson and his wife then went to the side door and asked him to leave Aston used insulting language and adopted a threatening manner. Later he went to a constable at New Brighton and complained that he had been refused accommodation. His object was to get liquor. Mr Tracy said that Aston wanted accommodation for the night, as he was going to a job at New Brighton next morning. lie suggested that Aston's bona fides were proved by the fact that Aston was the one who reported to the police first. ELDERLY WOMAN CHARGED.

Annie Alecia Hobday, widow (Mr \\. F. Tracy) pleaded not guilty to stealing, on or about January 10th, a quantity of viola plants and onions, valued at 265, the property of L. V. Young, and to wilfully damaging a number of tomato plants valued at ss, the property of L. V. Young, thereby committing mischief. Leslie Victor Y'oung gave evidence of footprints found in his garden. They were small, with a square heel and a pigeon-toe, and the woman next door had a pigeon-toe. Evidence was given by Constables Quartley and Harper, who interviewed the accused. Onions corresponding in number with those that had been stolen were found on the premises, and the violas were found to be newly planted. When questioned Mrs Hobday said that they had been given to her by certain people, but when these people were interviewed they denied any knowledge of the matter. Tho defence was a complete denial of the thefts and the damage, the accused stating in evidence that the onions had been given her by her sister, and that the violas had also been given to her. To Mr Tracy she said that she had no need to steal, as she had a substantial income. John Russell Hervey, vicar of St. Stephen's, Shirley, said that he had known Mrs Hobday since he came to the district three or four years ago. She had shown kindness and generosity to neighbours. She was quite the last of all the people in the district whom he would suspect of such an offence. Mr Mosley interrogated accused briefly and then said: "I am afraid I am being extra generous to her, but the case is dismissed. BREAKING AND ENTERING ALLEGED. William lan McKay and Elwin Henderson, each aged 13 years, were jointly charged wi * n breaking and entering on January 25th the shop of T. Wilson, and committing theft. McKay was further charged with breaking and entering and stealing from the same premises on January 27th and 29th. Mr A. A. G. Reid appeared for McKay and Mr A. J. Malley for Henderson. Mr Malley said that Henderson was one of a family of fourteen, his mother being a widow. He was employed at the shop at which the thefts were alleged to have been committed at a salary of £1 a week. He gave practically the whole of this for the upkeep of his mother. Four children were still going to school. Mr Reid said that McKay had lived with his grandmother for the past fourteen years. He asked for bail, which could easily be obtained. The accused were remanded to appear on February 11th. Bail was allowed, McKay in one surety of £SO and Henderson in one surety of £SO, each to report daily to the police. REMANDED. James Sommerville, aged 39, was remanded until February 6th for medical treatment on a charge of obscene exposure. UNREGISTERED FIREARM. Edward Hartley Smith was fined 5s and costs for failing to register a .22 calibre rifle. DRUNKENNESS. Winifred Johnson, John Harold Johnson and. Harry Davis were each fined 20s and costs, in default 24 hours' imprisonment, for drunkenness, and on a similar charge Louis Chanel Neary was fined 10s, in default -4 hours' imprisonment.

CIVIL, BUSINESS. (Before Mr H. A. Young, S.M.) JUDGMKNTS BY DEFAULT. Judgment by default, for plaintiff, with liven in the f cases :- Charles S. Thomas v. E. E Edmonds, 41 Is, the Sockburn Timber and Coal Co. y. H. Mcintosh £6 13s 10d; F. C. Penfold and Co v Geo. Walker, £2O 18s; Thomas Arthur Mac Gibbon v. Charles Hill, f 8s: Dominion Paint and Tar Products Ltd., v. Thomas Joseph Bettle. £2l 6s 7d; Beath and Co Ltd. v. G. M ..reditu. £2 14s 9d; Nestles Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, Ltd., i. A. Cora ner, £4 5 s 7ii JUDGMENT summons. W E Clarkson was ordered to pay Kate M Berry the sum of £9 2s and costs, forthwith, in default ten days' imprisonment. COLLISION CASE. Frederick George Dunn, of Christchurch, accountant (Mr W. F. Tracy), claimed from W C Pollard, of 164 Strickland street, bpreydon, plasterer (Mr E. W. White), the sum of £ls 16s 3d damages, arising out of a collision between cars driven by the two parties in Barbadoes street on July sth, 1929. The plaintiff alleged negligence on the part of defendant and Pollard alleged contributory negligence on the part of plaintiff. After hearing the evidence the Magistrate said he was not satisfied that there was any contributory negligence on the part of plaintiff. Judgment would bo for plaintiff for the amount claimed, with costs. CLAIM FOR SERVICES RENDERED. Denys Hoare and Francis Arthur Jarrett, carrying on business at Christchurch as Hoare and Kingscote. public accountants and auditors, stock and sharebrokers (Mr K. M. Gresson), claimed from Irvin and Herdman, dental and surgical salesmen, 136 Worcester street, Christchurch (Mr W. F. Tracy), the sum of £137 Os 2H for services rendered. Defendants admitted liability for all but £3l 10s. Judgment was given for plaintiffs for the admitted sum of £lO5 10s 2£d. (Befgre Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M.) CLAIM FOR GOODS SUPPLIED. John Browne (Mr J. R. Hampton), of Sumner, storekeeper, claimed from E. L. H. Brown (Mr H. McDonald), of Euston street, Sumner, salesman, the sum of £lB 13s 2d, the balance of the amount due by the defendant for groceries supplied between June, 1925, and April, 1929. the sum of £2, the amount of money lent by the plaintiff to the defendant in June, 1928, and further, the sum of £l, the amount lent by the plaintiff to the defendant in February, 1928. Judgment was given for plaintiff for £ls 13s 2d and costs on the first claim, and on the other claim? plaintiff was nonsuited.