MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 183, 28 April 1908, Page 4

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

■ POLICE CASES. (Before Mr. W." G. Riddel], S.M.) ■' . DRUNKENNESS. : Fey drunkenness, John Hyde w;is fined,los., or, ill default, 48 hours'; imprisonment. A first , offender was convicted and discharged. Two other first' offenders 1 wero oach fined 53.; ' or 24 hours'- imprisonment. Fines of'los.. oach, or 48 houi'B, were imposed on. twoi. first offenders,.who' did not appear. For. a similar; ■ ofl'onco,'.Stella (Taylor!' was fined 205.,' in ;de-, faultrsovon.days.'-.imprisoriment'.. r--. . ; ASSAULT ON A CHINESE; 7. ' Nonnan' Reginald -. .Smith, a ' respectably-, dressed "young man,' was "charged.; with- assaulting. Wong Kong, a. Willi?: Stroet. fruit orer, qn March 12. Mr. Hindmnrsh. appeared ,for defendant.' \ /. ■' Through thointerpreter,'Wong.Kong stated thatiabijut half-past ;sovear on ,the evening in question', -ho was at'his ; business behind..the. counter, when defendant and; aiiothervyouiig man camo.in and asked-for two 'cigarettes., This was refused; and/a resulted, ami nij|r attempt-j\;as„mado^.PV.t',the young-, iriictri out!" '.D'eiendq.ut''threw,ia\weight at. 'nessj'. 'striking-him;.above 'the; 'riglit' eye.' -• Def'enda&t and his,-' friend'' then ; ;'olea'r'ed''' put. : Wong Huhf;- who was: upstairs! at 1 tho'timo, ran'outi chased v.theni..'i:Grosscexaiiiihed •by Mr.; Hitfdmarsh,': 'witness 1 denied, that! lie had a knifo or used one.' Wong Hum- also gave; evidence as to seeing, the- wound.--on/his ' companion's; forehead. ■ A'. small' -.knife, - was,; sometimes used.to cut;vegetables. v-.: ' Constable l M'Cartney stated that he was called in, :and ho saw that; W on E' Kong had; been injured; thero-being blood spilt on tho floor. i Mr.' Hindmdrsh said that; sixpence was,tendered 'for : 'tomatoes a&l cigarettes, but,.the' 'tomatoes wore\bad,■'and ;liis; client' demanded» his money baok, but this"was refused,, aiid;' a row resulted. ■ The : Chinaman brandished ■a. iknifo,' and defendant acted in'!self-defence;;.' 'Defendant stated that'-:tlie: knife in, question'/'.was'a'slieatb knife.-.Ho had had very. •little l " drittk - that day.; STheweight was ' held; in-his hand •'when ho struck: the Chinaman; it was .hot; thrown, '''"V •: l William Illingworth' supported defendant's statements.• _ • w: '; ■. ; His Worship inclined to the-belief that the weight was thrown, ,as otherwise' it . should, not have"caused such, a: wound. / Defendant was finikl 40s. and octets £2 2s. , or, m default,• soven-days' imprisonment. • Seven days> was. allowed for payment. ''■< , THE SHOPS AND OFFICES ACT. , . A cliargo of: failing to close his shop;at ; 9 'o'clock on Monday night, April 6, was.brought against Thomas Crouch, jeweller (for, whom Mr, Neilson appeared), by,the: Inspector, 'Mr. C. E.' Aldridge. V. • Evidence in support of tho prosecution was given by A. Donald, of the Laboiir Department, and'the lnspector. • • •■■'.'•;■••,.,•■ : Defendant; stated that heVwas; fully a ware of the'provision of tho'Act,; requiring -him' to closo at nine o'clock, but on the evening in question a friend, Mr. Orr, called in, aiid they were only discussing football and general Ho_could not have asked Mr. Orr inside,; aS the; chop was not a lock-up oho, 'and- , tho shop-door was"' tho only ' entrance. Some of' the goods were covered up, and the door was not closed, but ajar, but this was; ' an oversight. Ho admitted;' tolling tho Labour Department officers /that ho closed at' 9.30, but ho only spoke' jocularly. . . Evidence for the defence was also given- by William Orr. , :' ■ : ' ■ • •.; The Inspector raised the point, that under section.l 7of tho Act, the door had to bo at ,least olqsed uildor the circumstances. . ■ Tho Magistrate concurred, but, as he hnld that there was lio wilful breach, an offence had been, committed, but he wouldi only impose the small penalty of 10s., and costs 7sJUVENILE COURT. At a sitting of the Juvenile Court, three youths, one aged 10 and tho other two 13. appeared'to answer a charge of stealing five shillings' worth of horse feed, the property of David Gillon, contractor, of Hansen Street. One of the lads pleaded .' not guilty, but the other two admitted the offence. The Sub-Inspector stated'that Mr'. Gillon had been missing the horse feed for some timo, and he estimated the quantity he had lost , altogether at about £2 10s. He saw the boys carrying somothing away in, sacks; he returned and found that the food had been disturbed, and ho took the boys' names. After cautioning the lads, tho Magistrate convicted and discharged them. MISCELLANEOUS. • . For, ontering tho. licensed promises of tho Caledonian Hotel, during the currency of a prohibition order against him, James Patrick Hassett-.was .fined 205., in default 48hours. Severn days .wero allowed for payinont. A prohibition order was, issued against Patrick Daly, on the application of his Wife, Margaret Daly. Defendant vigorously opposed tho application. Charles Honry Hart, who did not appear; was' charged with assaulting John/William Lucas. Evidenco as to tho assault was givon by Lucas. His Worship inflicted a fine of 40s'., in default 14 days' imprisonment. For loitering and importuning on Waterloo Quay on Sunday night, Julia Scholtcs was sentenced to one month's hard labour. • Jessie M'Ewen, alias Edwards,, alias Harvey, appeared for sentenco on a chargo of boing an id.lo and disorderly person. •> Tho Sub-Inspector stated that accused had been

convicted twenty-nine .times.; .• . The woman was sentenced to three months-' hard labour. Ernest Paul Sweeney,was fined ,£3,'' in.default 14 days' imprisonment) for, stealing a tweed overcoat on 'April 22, the' property; of Warncck and Adkin. A.' request for time, to be allowed for payment of ; the fine was; re?: fused.' ' ! ■ y; i :.-r.' ■[ Arthur, Hawkins i - pi saded .guilty to a charge of driving a'velwcle at< other .than.4. walking-pace round the .corner of Willis iiiltl Manners t Streets. A fine of 205.; was irhposed;! with costs 75., in default 48 hoursimprisonment. . ' For'leaving a spring-caa-t in-College Street;on April 15, without any animal being harnessed to it, James Taylor was fined 10s., and costs ,75.;. in default.24 hqurs' imprisonment.