MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 255, 21 July 1908, Page 4

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

! :' / POLICE CASES. " (Before Mr. AV. G. Riddell, 3.M:) ; <>-£ CLERK'S LAPSES. ?i' -A Robert'Janies Roberts was.ch'ar'gedXwitViiaving, on Fobruary 2, r&> ioived tho sum of £5 10s. Gd. oh terms rcguiringohint'to aocount for tho samo to Peter M'Ardlo, and'-Willi fraudulently omitting to .account thereby dommitting iilieft. Tho defendant was similarly charged in'reference -to sums of £7 45., £5. Is., and being March 14, May .3/' and April 4 in the respective chargcs. . * Chief - Detcctive M'Grath conducted t tho. ; caso fori'tho "prosecution. % Wm. J. Fitzgerald, contractor, stated that, ItV'V paid- im account for £25 ; to acctise'd on behalf of Mr. M'Ardte .{or worlt douo, >iuul received a receipt. On :3laj'c)i..l4 witjicgs' paid accused another account of' £47' 45.; and-again received a re'coipt.-.. On witness paid uiiother aV

count of £52 15s. !)<!., and on May.2 an account of £20 Is. Each of the accounts wero paid to accused on bobalf of his employer for work done. Receipts .(produced) wero given■ by accused; in each case. ' Peter M'Ardlq, forwarding and genera] carrier, deposed that accused hail been in his employ- as a cleric for about two years. It was his duty to collcct accounts and keep the books. Tho books showed up ontry of £25 10s. 6d.; as received from Mr. Fitzgerald on February 19, but .there was au ontry--on Fcbuary '20, giving Mr. Fitzgerald credit for £20. There was lio. entry on March .14 of £47 4s. having been paid by Fitzgerald, but a sum of £40 was shown on March 16. The. books did not show that, Fitzgerald had paid £52 13s. 9d. on April 4, but oil April 7 a sum of £25 was entered to his credit. Thero was no ontry on Slay 2 of Mr. Fitzgerald having -received credit for £20 Is., but on May 1 thero was an entry of £15 having been paid. Tho receipts produced did. not corres-. pond with tho ctntries in tho books. ,Tho bopks showed that Mr. Fitzgerald had paid less money than his receipts showed. Detective Carsells stated that' lie'arrested accused on July 12 on a charge of tho theft of £27 13s. 9d. Accused said ho intended to plead guilty. Later when charged with the othor offences ho made no reply. This concluded tho case for the prosecution. Accused pleaded; guilty to. -each of , the,' charges," and was committed to tho Supreme Court for sentence. MAINTENANCE. Francis Archibald Parker did not appear in answer-: to a-chargo of failing to provide his wife with adequate < means, of maintenance. .Defendant was ordered to pay £1 a, week, towards the .support of his wife, and to. enter into a bond of £50-and. one .surety, of £60, to comply 'with, tho .order. Tho default was fixed at three months' imprisonment, Defendant was also ordorak to pay costs, £2 2s. Mr. ■P. "\V. Jackson appeared for complainant;. . DISOBEDIENCE OF A COURT ORDER. 'Peter' Meek was charged with failing to comply with an order of the Court, made-on August 16, 1898, for the support, of his illegitimate child. Chief Detective M'Gratlr stated that accused was a labourer, and had only just returned to Now Zealand after an. absence of.somo time. The mother of the child' did -not want !to" recover tho arrears. -She would be qnito satisfied if accused com- ' plied with; the order for tho future. IHis Worship entered a conviction and sent-' e.nco of ono month's imprisonment, with hard labour, warrant to bo suspended ho long as ss. per week, is paid off tho arrears. • A CHAUFFEUR IN TROUBLE. 'A young man.named Frank Ogburn pleaded gliilty. to a charge of having driven a motor .car round tho corner' of Cuba and Ingestro Streets in a manner dangerous to tho public. Defendant, whoistatedHhafc he -was not awaro that he was breaking tho by-law,' was convicted and fined 405., and costs 75., in default seven, days', imprisonment, r .'< • - ' SUMMARY SEPARATION. : 'Cecelia Blanche .CoV-was granted- ! a summary separation from Wm. John Cole. An .order, was made for applicant to have custody, :of tho two Defendant was ordered to pay costs £2 lis. Mr. Luckie appeared for the applicant. ' ' , '.INSULTING LANGUAGE. •Wm. Harkin failed to appear in answer to a ; charge of ; using insulting languago in the .Wellington South-Post Office, with intent to '.provoke a breach of tho peace. • 'Evidence was called to prove that accused .went into tho Post 'Ojfico on Saturday afternoon, and presented a monoy-order telegram addressed to someono else. .When ho was told :that it' was impossible; to pay him -the money) 'accused: beeamo abusive and. noisy, and the police wero sent for: :,His Worship held that tho language, under -thecircumstances, was-guito unwarranted. ,Defendant would bo convicted and fined £4, .and costs 10s., in default fourteen days' ini*!prisonmont. A CHARGE "OF THEFT. >V'A well-dr6ssed young, man named Chas. ''■Watson, alias Riley, was charged that on or ['about July 13, ,at. Wellington, ho did comliliit.theft, of ,a;.watch,ralued..at.l6s.,- a gold, chain valuo £6,'also'foiir-soVereigns,'and two half-crowns, and lid., tho property of John Spiers Angus. On the application of-'Sub? Inspector .Pliair, a remand vas granted until July 24. CRUELTY TO" HORSES. James Brocklehurst pleaded, guilty through his solicitor ■ to.', charges.'-"of 7ill-treating ~t\yo horses.:;. Evidenco;was jgiven',that'tho-horses were suffering' from .sore shoulders, and' Were for tho Prevention of Cruelty to. Animals, who refused to'-allow.tliem t© : draw- their load back to Petone: For' tho defcncoV it was urged that tho horses wero • apparently all right when they were harnessed at Pctone before leaving for town. A conviction and fine of 505., and josts £1 125., in default seven days' impHsortnTont, was imposed in each caso.. Mr. Kirkcaldic appeared for the prosecution. \ •Joseph-Samuel Perkins entered a plea of' glailty to a'cliargo'of ill-treating'a horse by' working'it whilst .il was suffering from a sore back.' Defendant'said ho'know thd hbrse was not in a' fit state to work,' but , ho 1 ciuld not got another horso to replace it. Aj conviction and,fino of £3, and costs' £2 45.-6 d., in default, seven days' imprisonment, ' Was.imposed. MISCELLANEOUS. ■ . An elderly man named Wm.-Crocker was convicted and fined 55., in default twentyfour hours' imprisonment, for, insobriety; and on a second chargo of wilfully breaking a pane of glass valued at 45., the property df Kwyong Yeonbri/was j'omanded until this morning. Defondant was willing to plead guilty to breaking the window, ancßstated his willingness to mako good tho damaW-e, but denied that ho broko the window wilfully. For insobriety, James M'Kay was convicted and ordered to pay expenses £1 Bs., and John M'Laehlaiv was convicted and ordered to pay expenses amounting to 17s. 6d. Seven first offenders were brought forward, three;being fined 10s., two'Ss., one ordered' to pay expenses £1 Is., the last being convicted and discharged.