MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 764, 12 March 1910, Page 10

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

THE TREATMENT OF HORSES. CEXISADE BY S.P.CA. . i (Before Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M.) Harold Andrews, charged with working a horse whilo suffering from soro shoulders, pleaded guilty. Mr. E. J. Fitzgibbon, counsel for .defendant, stated that the recent hot weather'induced the friction under harness. A fine of £2, with costs £1 12s. was imposed. The alternative was 14 days' imprisonment. . Vernon O'Connor, - who did not appear, was fined .£3, with 7s. costs, in default 14 days' imprisonment, on a charge of ill-treating a pair of horses by working thom whilo suffering from sores.

David Andrews, and Francis James Lissington, were charged, as owners, with that they did allow a horse to bo illtreated. Defendants pleaded not guilty, and were defended by Mr. E. J., t'itz'gibbon. Inspector Seed, in his evidence, stated that he sent tho horse home a conlirmed cripple on February 19. After hearing tho statements of another witness, his Worship dismissed the case, on the grounds that the evidence was too unsatisfactory to warrant a conviction.

WILLIAM NEWMAN, DRIVER. William Newman, employed by Messrs, Andrews and Lissington, appeared on three charges of ill-treating horses. Defendant was represented by Mr. H. l'\ O'Leary, and pleaded guilty to two charges, and not guilty to tho other, Defendant said that the horse was one which he hail got in exchange from another driver. He was unaware that its s7foulders wcro sore. The information on this count was dismissed: , Defendant pleaded guilty to ill-treating nnother horsfl by beating it over the head with a batten. Mr. Webb said that defendant had Hogged tho animal over the head with tho batten no fewer than twelve times, and tho horso was eventually talten out of tho lorry dazed with the blows which it had received, and bleeding from the nostrils. •' Jlr. O'Leary, on behalf of defendant, said that the haiM wjw as tha w&ari

in a lorry with another animal, and it refused to back. Defendant lost his temper, and, picking up a batten, punished it as stated, 'i'ho statement that the horse ivas taken out of the lorry because it was dazed; was not true. It was removed because -it refused to work. The magistrate imposed a fine of £5, with lis. costs, in default 21 days' imprisonment. On the second charge, of working a horse while in an s unfit condition, defendant was finod ,£2; with costs .£1 lis., in default' seven days' imprisonment. Defendaut was granted 14 days in which to-pay the lines. ANOTHER HORSE CASE. Albert Hudman pleaded guilty to'the charge of ill-treating a horse by workins it whilu lame, and in ill-health. Air. E. J. Fitzgibbon appeared for defendant, who was fined dCI and costs, including solicitors' fee of .£1 Is. In all of the above cases' Mr. Seed prosecuted on behalf of the Society for I'/ 07 ??.'' 011 Cruelty to Animals, and Mr. Webb was counsel for the society. OTHER CASES. Agnes Mercer,; on remand, was charged with using bad language whilst drunk. Mr. A. L. Herdman, counsel' for accused, withdrew the plea of not guilty which had been previously entered. He pleaded mitigating circumstances in that accused's domestic life was rendered most unhappy, so much so that owing to some rough treatment she had had two paralytic strokes.; For . being . drank accused was convicted and discharged, and for using obscene language was fined 20s. with 9s. costs, with the option of 48 hours' imprisonment., . , _ David Alexander Wright was fined 10s., ,in default. 48 hours' imprisonment, for insobriety, and a first offender was also dealt with. i Richard Keene, for allowing a fire to be Jit on his property at Island Bay without permission was fined 10s., and costs 7s. Mr. Beere appeared for defondant who pleaded- guilty. _For allowing stock to wander, Fred. J. Gooder was fined 55., and costs 75.; George Hearfield was ordered to pay Court costs; James Guthrie and John W Salmond were each fined ss. and. Court costs 7s. Mr. W. P. England prosecuted on behalf of the Karori Borough CounJames Hassett, John Clark, and James Reynolds were charged with . having hawked fruit without a license. Defendants pleaded guilty. Mr. H. P. O'Learv who appeared for defendants, stated that they misunderstood the position and that they intended to conform to the by-laws in future. Each of defendants was ordered -to pay Court costs 7s. Inspector Doyle prosecuted. George H. Jackson, who did not appear, was fined 205., with costs for a breach of the building by-laws. Mr. E. A. Holland, inspector of scaffolding prosecuted.