MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 94, 14 January 1908, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

, (Before Mr W.. G:' Jtiddell, s!m.)' ■ 1 A. general washing-up day. was held at. the Magistrates'iCout'i; yosterday, a number of., outstanding, cases being dealt with. . • SEASIDE 11EVELS. ' •ROWDYISM AT' RONA! BAY. f ' The pranks of a certain class .of., young man which spends the week-end at a seaside wharo were exposed to tho public view as tho result of a prosecution by the police.' ■l'rank. Simpson, a well-dressed, young fellow, was charged with having on December 21, at Rona Bay, used threatening behaviour whoroby a breach of tho peace was occasioned. Evidence was callcd to show that' .defendant and another young man' came to 'blows, soon after tho arrival .of tho late boat at, tho bay. on tho date mentioned in: the information, tho result being that a'crowd' :of spmo -10 or 50 people gathorod to witness tho troublo. -Blows woro struck as tho rciSlllt of .defendant going up to. another: young : plan and demanding an apology for something that had happened a week previously. • His .Worship _ considered vtho evidence was .M-trillo contradictory, but lie was-of opinion that it was perfectly, clear that but' for Simpson's action a breach of the peace- would nevor have occurred. Defendant courted • a , row by going up to a crowd of people and .asking, one. of the. number-for an- apology forsomething that.had happened previously. _ Sub-Inspector O'Donovan to . the ' Court: "This is. one, of the : Saturday. night rows : that the pooplo of the Bay have complained about indottors to thotiiowspapcrs;''. . His Worship, continuing,- remarked 'that ■youthful residents of-tho; Bay->should have : more-sense than to disturb the peaco of the neighbourhoods Tlie Court would ; inflict a light ponalty, -not so much'as • a penalty on ■defendant, but,as a deterrent to. others'. ' A conviotion and'firie of 10s., and costs:lls., in defaidt^24'' hours' imprisonment 'would be imposed (7 days. to be' allowed to' pay ' tile line). .Mr. Kirkcaldiovippcared'fo'r the do- . fence,- • . •' .

.. . ANOTHER SEASIDE, CASE., A younp man, Joseph Mofrattj'also a weekend resident at the seaside, was • charged- ' with having on December 21, at. Ronft- Bay '■ ; nssaiilccd ono. John Hal!, .and on a< scoor.c intqrmp.tioc with haviag ,xVsed ' Kirkcnldiv?! appeared for the'de- 1 ieiKl.ttn(\ who pleaikd n.ii guiltt/ -'•: 1 ..Jolra ris.l! .stated, that hc-lsit -u.wn 'by' '..lie ' 4 j P-®- and •on arriv.il it the' Lay stood on the" outskirts, of. a', ciwvd of sonic c P eo P{®> .-.watching a fight—the substance or the ohargo.in tnc' prcv]ous' : 6ase—when he was-.struck, from: behinrk by; deferidaiit,' •. Henry -Longiiiorc deposed he sav/-wit-noss Hall, struck by,Mo€att'. Hall, as -far as witness : could sec, /gave ;.iio • provocation for the. assault.-He-heard bad language used amongst the crowd. ■-It seemed pretty general. . Other witnesses; stated--that' there was a general scramble amongst ' the crowd, and: overyqne .appeared to ,bo fighting;. A 'good deal, of bad language, was used.-' . His/Worship held that defendant niust be convicted oil tlio firstcharge.' He tvas scareoly in- the same /position-'as' the lastdefendant, as. he had no causo to commit the assault. He would he convicted and . fined 205., i in 1 default 48 hours'- imprisonment, 7 days to bo allowed to pay-the''fine; As to tho second ohargo the information would '.btf dismissed'on tlio ground that there was no evidence against; accused. ; .' THEFT: OF TWO TEAPOTS. ! James Armstrong, romanded;' twico recontly, apeared again in,answer, to t a charge of thoft .of two silver 'teapots,. valued .at 305., tlio property .of: some person unknown: Accused pleaded not guilty.. 'Constable Carmpdy',;. who , arrested accused: on •' 'December' :34, '.stated that.:tli.o ; ; ;mttn,.,. was ■ goiiig - 'along fClydo^Ouay,..with,tlio.tcapoti tied in a lia'n'f korphief, .Defendant, wont-.into:, a -store and qd'ered tp.".scll'„.tiio:, teapots' for ■2s. , '",''Subse- ! ;.wcjit',iiito tho -.bar' oP an. hotelSrind 1 'ag'airi; .tried;"to get...rid' of'.theln,'for- 2s. : "'-Ac-' '6used.;;iirst said.,lie-ihad found; tlio toapotS; but - afterwards... stated that they had' b'cciV given,' toyjiini." -Wlipn'-witiicss. was'taking''dofondant,to tlio .Pqlico: Statio"n\ho'(dcfeiieTant) pointed out , three different places'whero ho bad got tlio teapots.,' Subsequently ho niado a Btatomoiit' .that tlio i'goods - liad' befiri'given' to. him by a man named Smith. ' Witness had-found that there-war, $uch a person, but ho had been unable to traco him*. • •' Accused said lie ,had been driiikiiig qn'ithe day .the teapots woro found in his possession. .They had been given to him by a• man who. had either asked him to mind them or" to soil them, ho could not remember which.' The Court was unablo. to believe accused's story,, and ciitorod a conviction'and fiiio 'of 405., in default 14 ■ days' -.imprisonment. , ; BREACHES OF THE: PEACE. Albort Berton Hansen and R. C.'Matthews were charged "with using threatening • behaviour, whereby a breach of the peace was occasioned. A plea of guilty, was entered by Hansen,' but Matt-hows failed to appear. Hansen wis convicted and .'fined'2os:,' aild costs in. dofault 7 days'. imprisonment, and Matthews, was convicted and .fined,3os., and costs'9s., in default 10, days' imprisonment, . ; . Eagerness in the search -for fares .resulted in two cabmen named . Thomas Lane and Corb'ett appearing to aiiswer- a charge-or using threatening. behaviour with intent to provoke. a broach of the peace. Evidence was giveiv to ; show that -ths two defendants botli drove their, cabs down -to the Hotel CCciLon the morning of December 18 in. the hope of picking up..a. lato faro from onq -of 'tho trams lor the Manawatu train. Lane-was, at the post. first, and pulled his cab up so that passengers getting off tho tram-would bs alongsido tho cab. Whilst he was in this position Corbett drove up and, it was alleged, drew'up alongside Lane's cab, and spoiled his positioii.' The result was an altercation in which' whips were brought into play! After hearing evidence at length, His' Worship, hold'that both parties-were equally to blame, and each would bo convicted and fined 10s., and costs lis.- each, in default 48 hours' imprisonment. Mr. Jackson apeared for Corbett and Mr. Buddie for Lano. ....'.' DISORDERLY BEHAVIOUR,.. " Richard Miehlko pleaded not • guilty to a .charge: of disorderly behaviour in Taranaki Place on January U,- whilst lindor. the -in- , fluence of liquor. On a second ■ charge of having wilfully damaged a pane, ■valuo os., and tlio contents of. a polico.Cell, value 6s. 6d., Miehlke ontercd a plea of guilty. Evidence was given by the_ police that defendant was found in Taranaki Place sitting on a footpath, with his back a&ainst a fence. He had somo money in his liand. and was throwing it about the footpath ana shouting at .tlio top of his voice. When defendant was locked up ho deliborately smashed a bucket in tho coll, and also broke ■the shuttor of tho cell window. , Defendant denied that he was making any noise in the .street. Ho was 6imply sitting on the footpath counting his money, and was going to move ou when -tho constablo told him to. - On the charge of disorderly boliaviour a conviction and fine of 205., in default seven days' imprisonment, was imposed, and on tho other charge accused, was convicted and fined 10s., and ordered to pay.for.tho damage done, lis. 6d., in,default seven days' imprisonment. , A young man named Thomas Allen, defended by Mr. Cook, pleaded guilty, through liis solicitor- to a charge o:i disorderly conduct on licensed premises. Sub-Inspector O'Donovan 'stated ' accused was under, the inlluenco of liquor in tho bar of tho Tramway Hotel, and when ordered to leavo the bar refused to do so. Mr. Cook explained that he had made .inquiries'at tho seat of the trouble, and had been. informed that defendant, was not under the inlliience of liquor. Counsel stated .that defendant was a highly respectable men. "In. fact," said Counsel; "he was previously a- constable.'i 1 ... • ... '- His Worship-.considered - that defendant' having been a constable should'have .known •he was committing an offence, and. the factthat he was sober did not strengthen his case. Ho would bo convicted and fined 40s. and costs, lis., in default seven days' ituprisonwit,

AN EXPRESSION: IN "f ROUBLE. ....... Aii' expressman named" -Wiliiam-. Honry Shepherd uppenred-in answer to a,chaigo or having, on Decembor--.2'/, used 'lnsuiyuig language with intent.to-provoke a breach ot the peace. Mr. P. Jackson appeared for tlio dofbnee.. It was stated- that„dofandant .had endeav'o.nred ! .to;puslrpast tlie ..gatekeeper on the Government railway, station platiqrni, and. on .being..refused admittance abnsad the' railway oiticial.'"""Tlio 'porter refused-to allow the expressman "on to - the platrom,.as ho had not seau anyone ongago him.. His Worship held that thero was an qffenco, but it ..was a trivial one. Tl«j - information would be dismissed. A second charger of having' •goii© upon tlio platform ;of tho Govorninent : ■railway station lor the" purpose'of soliciting hire was also laid .against Shepherd,-who was convicted and fined 10s., and costs, 75., in -dofault 48 hours'. iriipriSonment. : ; ALLEGED THEFT. Charles Cairney, was .'charged' with- having committed' tho theft of £3, tlio money ot Joseph James , Rosaiiowski, at .Palmerston North, on January 8. On tho application of Chief Detective iM'Grath, accused was remanded :to appoar at Palmerston North on January 15.' . | . MISCELLxVNEOTJS. Walter Durkin was ordered to contributq. tlie sum of ss. Pr; wook towards'tlio support ;of his illegitimate child. until tlie child at- : tained 14 years.of age. . Laurence Hanratty appeared on remand. icharged with, having, ,on January 3, caused actual bodily, hariri to one Thomas Laccy. :Mr. P. Jackson appeared for thp' defence. On the application of tho police a further remand until 'January 20 was granted, com* ■ plairiant Lacoy b-.iitg still in tho hospital. Bail was allowed- in tlio sum of £75, and ■ two sureties of £37 10s. each. A '-'young man "named William Danks pleaded guilty t'o a charge'of having, on' No. j'Vember 9, at Island Bay,' bohaved m ail in--1.-suiting "manner, whereby' a breach •of the peace was' occasioned.'.- .The police stated, that- defendant, whilst coming in from Island ' Bay in a: had "overturned a -tankj' arid the charge'aroso out.'of an altercation which ensued- with- the owner of the tank. A fine of 40s'. andcosts,' 23s.,'in"default seven days' imprisonment, was,imposed. For insobriety, David Stevenson was' convieted and fined 10s.; in'default 48 lidurs 1 imprisonment. Three first offenders "were ' each ■ convicted and' fined 10s,, in default 48 hours' iinprisonmrni-. • A; prohibition .order' was ordered toissiio ' agnini-t a wormn named On-, to. obtain in ' ! llf; V^llington,-''Hutt, and . Newtown dis- ' trietn/'.'- :