MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 304, 17 September 1908, Page 11

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

. . POLICE CASES. (Before Mr. \Y. G. Riddcll, S.M.) 1 FORGERY AND UTTERING. ,'A : PRISONER ON' THE WARPATH Edward Thomas Hughes, alias Saulc, appeared in'.answer to a charge of having, at Wellington 011 September 8, forged tho name . of J. Dutch to a cheque for £6 5s.> and having uttered the same to Kato Bcauchnmp: Catherino Beauchamp, licensco of tho . Tramway Hotel,' stated that accused called '.at- the' 1 hotel'on the evening of Tuosday, September 8, and aslied witness to cash a cheque (produced) for £G us.,. at the same timo'ordering four bottles of whisky. Accused-;', endorsed 'the cheque "C. Miller. 1 ' Witness'gave' accused tho'four bottles of whisky, and £0 Is. change. On presenting , tho cheque , at the National Bank, it was returned,'marked "no account." ■ ■ ■ Henry- James Rod, butcher, remembered accused calling at. his shop on September 8, and asking for a : blank chcquo form, Wit-. ' ness - gave tho accused the cheque form. William Alexander J. Dutch, brassfounder, stated "that the chequo (produced) was not signed, by him or by his instructions. - Melvilld Olive, ledger-keeper at tli'o National Bank of New Zealand, stated that the chcqup produced was presented at the bank and "returned marked "no account." There ' was-iio.person.named J. Dutch with an account- at the bank. .'; \ . Detective Williams deposed that he saw. accuscd at tho Terrace Gaol on September 12, and showed him the cheque. Accused made - a statement'that, he was. serving'a, sentence at the'.Point Hals'well prison, and at '7 p.m. on September 8. he got out of the gaol and walkra.'inito. Kilbirnie, and then on to Wellington, -.jyliero. ho met a, man he did not wlio asked, him if he had any money. ' Hughes said he had 110 money, but he would soon get some with n cheque. Ho called on Mr. Rod."and got a blank cheque form and then went'into a Chinaman's' shop, irhcre tho man who.was.with him filled in the cheque. !He (Hughes)" told him to use the name Dutch;;and endorsed tho cheque "C. Miller." - They then I ..went..to tho Tramway Hotel.' and purchase^''four, bottles of , whisky, tendering the-cheque"and getting £0 Is. change., Tho other; n\an' then left, and Hughes went into a small.'shop to. ask the keeper to ring up for a cab,to take him back to the gaol. Accused ,'had £4:155. "2d. and. four bottles of whisky in his possession when he was arrested. : ' ; ' V Accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.; INSUFFICIENT MEANS. JThomas Darling,- an elderly man, was' brodght forward ill'answer to a charge of being : ail idle and disorderly person within the; meaning''of the Police Offences .Act, 1884, in that he has insufficient lawful'means of support.- Accused admitted that he bad no mean's of support.' '• " : The-'police stated that defendant 'had been out: of -work' for some time and had becomo .'depressed.—• 'A- remarid- : until' September 23 was granted to allow defendant to be kept under medical care. : ' . ADVISED TO GET WORK. . The .picturesque young vagrant,, Corbet , UicKard Crosswell, who was before tho Court last week on a charge of. having no visible lawful means of support appeared on . mand. . ■ , . . . His Worship said defendant had-been before the' Court in Auckland for a somewhat Bimilar,-,offence,: and warned bim; that., ho would have to - make up his mind to do. some-, thing.' "It. is impossible/ to allow you to roam ;'aqout''the country in .the way you have, been doing. . At present thero; is. nothing and ;;i l, ypu- , and order you to come up for sentenced when called japon.".' This' sentence • was :ontered, and the. ragged, figure left the dock. ■ - A NORTH STREET INCIDENT. • John Butler, labourer, appeared 011 remand on a . charge of having, ,011 September 10, at "Wellington, unlawfully assaulted' Mildred Sub-Inspector Phair conducted the case for,'the prosecution, anti-Mr.' P. W. .Jackson [appeared for defendant.. Evidence .was given; by Mrs. Butler, that accused came homo to his. house :in North Street on. September 10..; Witness' was cooking the dinner at the ' time; Vand . was struck/on the. head with a fryiiig-pan.;. The wound was not- very.'serious,' but'the'neighbours made a'fuss about it, and sent for ,the doctor. Accused was' annoyed at his .'.dinner being late, arid picked up the frying-pan ' with 1 the intention .of . throwing the dinner, .out;;--Witness, was sure, accused intend to hurt her. Dr. Henry stated that he"was called in to ! attend Mrs.' Butler, and found lie'r suffering from; a wound on the bead 2} inches long, which had penetrated the whole .thickness- of the scalp. "Witness stitched the wound up, and tho woman was removed to' the hospital. . Accused' stated that he had been working on the wharf, and went home to his dinner, - but found it was not ready. Ho was annoyed, and picked .'the frying-pan off tho. stove and. threw it away. It hit his wife, but he did not have any. intention of striking her with it. ■ , . ~ His; Worship remarked that the consequences of accused's'act "niight have- been ' more serious. However, the Court .would take into consideration .the fact that accused was hard-working man,''and' bore a go'pd , character. -He would be convicted and fined £5, and ordered to pay costs £1 19s. . . : CHIMNEYS ON FIRE. ■. " Daniel- Anderson, and Hejena A. Scully were. each, cpnyicted ahd fined 55., and costs 75., in' .default. 24,.hours' imprisonment, for tho occupiers of promises, the chimneys of which 'Were allowed to catch fire. ' MISCELLANEOUS. A middle-aged woman named Jessio Hay, alias Kempthorne, pleaded guilty to a chargeof having been found, by night- 'without lawful excuse-in tho garden attached to tho residence of Sir' Joseph Ward, Tinakori Road, at 2.30; a.m.. yesterday. Defendant was convicted, and''ordered ;to come' up for sentence when called upon, on condition that'she goes into, the Salvation Army Home, and remains there-for'thrco months.;V - 7" John-'Robertsbii was 'convicted and fined 405., and costs £112s,vin.default seven days' imprisonment, on a,,charge' of cruelly ill-treating'a-horse. 11. Cunliffe,. a steward, was convicted and' fined 10s. on a charge of theft of one towel,valued : at" 25., iliOj property of the Shan, Savill,arid Albion. Company. ' Mr. Fell appeared :for the'prosecutibn. . . George.Clarke'was cfinyipted and fined 205., m default seven, dayg' imprisonment, for insobriety,'and John Summers was remanded for a week on a charge of having been found m,a state of .helpless drunkenness. Threo first offenders.were convicted and fined 10s., and four others were convicted and fined ss. . John,Phillips ivas convicted and fined 10s., and costs 7s-, for leaving a horse and cart unattended m a public street.

It will be'pleasant news to the young man who has still to buy that engagement ring that a German factory is to turn out rubies, sapphires, and other gems which cnunot be distinguished from real stones at pi-ices much under those current for the gems. Some enterprising young man should make polished whinstones fashionable. They would certainly bo what they claimed to be. As to the accuracy attained by our 12in. guns (says British "Engineering"), there is no need to go beyond the performance of tlio Dreadnought-on. June 19, when, by command of the King, the Primo Minister of Nepal, accompanied b.v members of tho Government and State officials, went on a cruise to witness service firing practice. Tlio targets were 16ft. in height, by '20ft. in width, tho range was 2500 yards, and tho speed of tho ship while firing was 12 knots. The time occupiod'iri firing was 2} minutes; 15 rounds were fired, and 13 hits were made, 11 rounds being fired at the right-hand target, with 9 hits, arid' four rounds at the left-hand target, all being liits.