MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 116, 8 February 1908, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

POLICE CASES

(Beforo Mr W G Riddcll, SII)

THEFT OF A BICYCLE ■ 'Joliu Georgo Edward Harris appeared on a phargo of;, tho' thoft>6f; a- bicyclo,: value' £4,. at Woodvillo on October 19. Chiefj'Botcctiv'o, .M'Grath: stated that' .'-defondant hired the .bicycle for two hours, and instead of/returning < it on to Wellington, where ho sold it to „ dealer Ho,-#Oll went on to Dunedin and stolo anofclici"■ bicyclo;,-there, being \ convicted' and ordered'.to' comd''up-'for Sentehco 'when called upon.to i the offence

--His Worship imposed a penalty of £3, in default .soven days imprisonment/. - ~'

( A CHARGE OF ASSAULT '" 1 . l )lci >d guilty. ,to. hitting him with a i.sticki -but. undor great said' a iman named: William: Black/charged with liav-' mg . ,assaulted ~Wilha'in . Devlin. Evidence .shd,wed..;that; .the' two, men' concerned ..were discussing ; politics'whGir,.thd ftsSaulfc occurred/ Black; liittn(g..]jovlin l: _ib\'or 'thb 11 head'with a'; .walking stick and inflicting a siiiair wound • ■-.His:, Worship, said:,d6fessfflilit*;V*fiii' lKivd' had .Somi).provpcatiph,; biit / thß..blow ; ::w'as. far more severo4hjin- tho'provocation warranted. ■He : would bo convicted and fined. £3, with ornatiyo. of .qqyotf: days'.- imprisonment:

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

Frederick. Whoelor Rodnej' appeared on remand on a eliargo oi having attompted to QOmmit:'.suicido :-by ; : :cutting/ his. throat.'. ' T . It was stated by tho police . that defendant had no ( relatives m New Zealand, but was piepared ,to go. to work. His Worship impressed oii defendant that he.was 'liable,.to a; severe, penalty, put,; undor tho'.circuhistancps,, ho .would ,-bo 'convicted.,'and':,ordered' to ; comei up fbr seritenco' when called iipon; 'on cbiidi-Jf tioiv that he , paid the sum .of £4 per month pif % the 'medical iand ptlifer. expenses (iiicurred until £20. had .beoti'paid.. ■/' ,7 .. l: . - . ,v.-' ;

ABSENT "WITHOUT' LEAVE.

.!-,V: , A,-Jreman;''nam'edrj i 6jin^ ; '.Cutbirth:-- ,^leade^ not guilty.to'a chargo of: unlawfully' absent-: ing himself from the steamer Ilippingham Grange without . 'I,6avb/' '.Defendant pleaded tbat : ;spccial circumstances over which he had no. :.'.direct (.control arose-, andv.prevonted- him from-returning to the ship. Ho returned at the.- very Earliest opportunity;!, ■■liv>view of the.: facts as: rolatcd. His . Worship entered a conviction, against defendant with costs, 75;,--iind, ordered him to be. placed on board the steamer. ~.. •

MISCELLANEOUS

• •:l l ofi-insobriety Jamek Ling ,was convicted and'-fmcd lOs., in default 48 liburs'.'impj-isoh-riienland; Mary, M'Elroy was Convicted' and lined 55., in.default 24 hours 1 ,;, imprisonment; •"rind: throo,first offenders i werb. cadi convicted and. fined-65., m default 24 hours' imprisonment.; i /,''/'''" 1 '•' - ::

• Norman Campbell, romanded from Wednesday, oil a.chargd of having insufßcieht lawful means -.of ' support, ,was discharged,, '. ■ Joseph Daly, l alias .-James Dale, remanded 'for sent'en'co on several charges of obtaining moiiey : from' :- local .clergymen by means • of false prctoi'icos; was further remanded until' Wednesday , iu. pi'der' that a report from tho gaol surgeon could bo received. . • < • In' ' the;''undefended . civil easo' Christina' Morris' v.- James Grant judgment by default 'was entered .for .plain tilf. foi- 135." Id.' and costs ss. ■;/I'.-' 'V,.: ' ': i' : , ; ; PRIVATE PROSECUTIONS. CHARGE OF. RESCUING A.COW. ' C. A. Hemsley ohargod Cathermo Ballantine with having, fit Ivarori. en January 15, rescued a cow. seized for tho purpose ol being impounded. Mr. Bolton appeared tor plaint\ft,. anil Mr. Wilford for the dofonceJ Plaintiff, claimed that a cow owned by defendant had been found 011 his property and had been driven off towards tho pound under instruction by two of ,his children. Wlion going past defendant's premises,- it was alleged that she and hor children ran out and took tho cow • from the children who wero driving it. For tho was contended that there was 110 rescuo in law. One of defendant's children happened to open tho'gate, alid the cow. had run ( in, defendant not boing 011 tho road; at tho time. His Worship romarkod that the offence of rescuing a cow from a ranger or person impounding it was a serious one, for which the .-statuto imposed a heavy penalty. 'One of tho essentials to a- conviction wlis that tho person who mado tho rescuo must know tho animal was being taken to tho pound. The information was dismissed with costs, £1 Is., against complainant. ' • .; ALLEGED ASSAULT. ■ ■' , David Barrie was charged with having, on January 28, at Wellington, assaulted Arthur' O'Hagaii. • yiMr. Deyino appeared for complainant, and Mi-. Wilford for defendant. Complainant alleged that ho was struck by defendant whou ho went to his liouso to collect an account, for milk. For the de-fencb-it. was'contonded that 110 blow was struck, but that complainant fell down some steps loading out of the prcmisos .whilst lie was walking backwards ; from tho piaco nnd talking to one of tho inmates of tho house in reference to the account. His. Worship dismissed tho information, holding that tlio evidence was so con/licting that it was difficult to say which .story .was, tho right 0110. ' LABOUR DEPARTMENT PROSECUTIONS. The Labour Department'proceeded against a • number of persons for breaches of the

Shops and Offices Act... On charges'of .failing to givo assistants a half-holiday from 2 p.m. on any working day in the week, linos vrero inflicted as lollnw:— Samuel Gilmer, 305., and costs 75.; Frederick Dobson, 10s,, and costs 75.; Thomas Ashman was ordered to pay 7s. costs only. Oil a similar chnrge Mrs. E. Maxwell was fined 10s., and costs 75., and on a second information. of employing two waitresses lor more than fiftytwo hours in ono week was fined 10s.; without .costs. _ . Two Chinosd named Foil Leo and Jim Lee oacli pleaded guilty to n charge that, being tho occupier of a. factory, lie did fail to keep a record {showing tho names of all .persons employed, tho (kind ' of work of, and the wages .paid to, each person, ami the ages of j thoso under. 21' years. Defendants were oa'ch fined. 10s„-and costs 7_s. BREACHES OF ■ THE CITY BY-LAWS. Albert P.ercival,Walker was fined 10s., arid costs 9s.j for. driving a vehicle at'other tlian'a ivalkirig paco across the intersection of Lambton .Quay and Willis Sti'eet. * Alfred ; Evans was >?nod 205., and'costs 75., fpr allowing'his express to remain standing in Ciiba "Street, for a .longer tinio. than that reasonably ' necosSary ,for loading, or unloading goods. .- i J ~ . ~ For loitering,in Moleswerth Street, after having been directed by a constable to movo on;- ; Arthur; : L6n'd : '.was' fined '40s;, arid 1, costs 7s. Sub-Inspector : O'Donovan i stated that Lowe, a,fruit;hawker, stood with.his barrow for aj considerable'; .tinio" in.'front 'of. another person's,' fruit .shop .in .Moltaworth Street, collecting a', large crowd, lie .was, directed to movo'on soveral times, but'failed to do so.' . : Alexander .Shiith was fihed 10s;, .arid costs 7sL',' for allowing ia ;horso' to stand, on 1 a fpdt-' wayaiv'.UppfirCuba .Street.' TRESPASSING Peter James Ilarvey and Robert White both pleaded''guilty.' to 'charges 'of trespass-, ing on the. yard of the Government Railway station; Sub-Inspector O'Donovan informed tho Court that somo people had got into tho. practice of crossing tho railway yard from tho. platform to Thorndon Quay, dfespito. re-, filiations against it.' .Each doferidant,'was' fined 10s>., and costs .7s. . '