MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1027, 17 January 1911, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before Dr. A. M'Arthur, S.M.) RESULT OF BEING DRUNK. .Tames Armstrong, alias Charles Oliver Armstrong,' was charged (1) with drunkenness, (2) with using improper language, and (3) with wilfully damaging a window, valued at .£l, the property of Frederick Knigge. Accused admitted tho cliargo of drunkenness, but stated that he remembered nothing.of tho happenings mentioned in the other charges. The evidence given was to the effect that accused had Dcen staying at the To Aro dining-rooms for a couple of days, and, on Sunday, ho went there under the influence of drink, and was told by the proprietor to quit. Accused then mado use of certain language, and subsequently placed his iist through a window, smashing tho glass. According to the police report, Armstrong had been convicted on 26 previous occasions. Ou the charge of using improper language, he was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. For drunkenness ho was lined 205., with the alternative of seven days' imprisonment, and ou the remaining chargt he was convicted and ordered to pay ill towards making good tho dam'age. ALLEGED DAMAGE. Henry Joseph Clements, a young man for whom Mr. E. J. Fitzgibbon appeared, Was chargcd with, assaulting Vance Clifford Hickok, on January 14, at Wellington South, by striking him on the head' with n bottle, thereby causing him grievous bodily harm. Sub-Inspector Norwood ktatcd that informant was now an inmate of the, Wellington Hospital, suffering from a severe wound in the head, and it would therefore be necessary to ask for a remand. Mr. E. J. Fitzdbbon, on behalf of accused, asked for bail. A remand until' January 18 was granted, hail being allowed in .£SO ana two sureties of ,£25 each. ENTRUSTED TO AN EXPRESSMAN. Geo. Longhurst, an expressman, was charged thai, having failed to deliver, within eighteen hours, seven packages, which had been entrusted to his care by Sydney Robert Murray, he nefdected to deposit such packages at the office of tho lusDector at the Town Hall. He pleaded not guilt)-. The evidence of the informant was to' the" effect that the packages, case of perishable goods, had been entrusted to defendant at the Thorndon Railway Station' for delivery at Daniel Street, but had not been delivered. After making inquiries, and tailing to find defendant, informant discovered his ad- ; dress, and visited the house, where Longhurst was found drunk, with the goods .still in his care. This was twenty-four hours' after the packages had boon given defendant, and tho caso of perishable goods was then of little or no value. ' Defendant stated that he had taken tho address down in his notebook as Rintoul Street, instead, of Daniel Street, and was, in consequence, unable to find the house/ "Why ou earth do the City Council givo a man like that a license?"' asked the magistrate, when Sub-Inspector Norwood stated that accused had been convicted on eight previous occasions. Tho sub-inspector stated that tho matter would be mentioned in the right quarter. The imagistrate imposed a fine of .£2, with costs and expenses amounting to 195., in default fourteen days' imprisonment. MAINTENANCE. Alfred Schultze was charged with failure to maintain his wife, Marie Josophino Schultze, and failure to maintain his child. Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared for complainant, and Mr. C. R/Dix for tho defendant. Evidence was given to the effect that defendant, who is a wine . and spirit merchant, is 61 years of ago, and tho complainant 29 years of age. The parties were married about two and a half years ago, and the succeeding period was anything but a period of unbroken bliss. On account of the recent unhappy state of affairs, the wife left home with tho child. Defendant subsequently mado an offer of'iil per week, but this was not accepted, nor could a settlement bo arrived at in .Couv.t.yesterday... After hearing ovideueo on ■ both sides, the magistrate ordered defendant to contribute 15s, a week the support of his wife, and to pay ss. witness's expenses and ,£2 2s. solicitor's fee. On tho second charge, defendant was ordered to pay 10s. towards tho support of his child, whom lie was to be allowed to visit once a fortnight. John LoslU, for whom Mr. J. J. M'Grath appeared, pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to maintain his children. The complainant was the defendant's mother-in-law, who at present had care of the children, and who stated in Court that she would not. hand them over to their father. The magistrate gave judgment for defendant, remarking that the latter could take proper proceedings if he wished to obtain custody of tho : Percival Ernest Stapleton, charged with disobeying a maintonanco order in respect tp tho support of his wife (arrears .£3O) and disobeying another order to support his'Stwo children (arrears X3O), was sentenced on each charge to a month's imprisonment in the Dunedin Gaol. For disobeying an order of tho Court to contribute to tho support of his mother, Robert M'Nab, who was .£lB in arrears, was sentenced to one month's imprisonment. Charles Blackbee applied to have arrears remittedi under an order, which required him to contribute. 6S. per week towards the support of a child _in an Industrial School. . The application Was granted. Mr. Petherick appeared in support of an application by Charles Swinerd to rescind an order mado by the magistrate on December 4, 1905, in the case of Rose Ann Swinerd v. Charles Swinerd,. an application for summary separation and custody of children. Tho application was moved under tho Divorce and Matrimonial Causes .Act, 190 S. After hearing counsel tho magistrate rescinded the order. . JUVENILE COURT. Two lads, aged 15 and 1G years, were before the Juvenile Court yesterday on a charge of stealing, between December 20 and Decomber 30, 36 sacks, value'i'., tho property, of Edward Hayes. Boui lads wcro convicted and discharged, tho father of each being ordered to pay 4s. Gd. to tho owner of tho sacks. OTHER CASES. ! In explanation of having driven a vehicle round tho corner of Wi'Jis Street and Lambton Quay at a pace otuer than a ivalk, Alfred Rolph said be was a new arrival from the Old Country and was not acquainted with the city by-laws. He was convicted and % ordered to pay court costs amounting to 7s. For allowing a horse to wander in the city, David Andrews was fined 205., with the alternative of seven daj-.s' imprisonment.

Michael Higgins, against whom there were six previous convictions, was sentenced to one month's imprisonment on a charge of drunkenness. Ono first offending inebriate was convicted and discharged, and two other first offenders, who did not apnear, wore ordered to forfeit their bail of 10s. each, or undergo 48 hours' imprisonment.. k 1 Prohibition orders were issued against /.llhur Cjoke, Thim.is William Hill, and Robert Jluirhead.