LAW REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1382, 7 March 1912, Page 3

LAW REPORTS.

LOWER COURT. RATHER DRAMATIC PASSAGE. "I AM THE MAN." Rather a dramatic passage occurred in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when a man appeared charged with a certain offence, and, when the case had proceeded a certain distance, another man interjected from iho. auditorium, the result being that the enw took quite a different turn. The presiding Magistrate was Mr. W. U. Kiddell,. S.M. ]n the east' in question, Frank .Tones was charged with damaging the door of a house occupied by Horace J ayes. The latter gave evidence that he had seen Jones do tire damage with a piece, of wood. He added that some woman had been with Jones at the time, and that both had been refused admission to the house. .Tonrs protested that another man had broken the door. "Have you any witness?" inquired the Magistrate. "Xo," was the reply. The case seemed closed, and the pccusert's side appeared to bo limited to a mere denial, when a ' man in the auditorium asked: "May I speak, your Worship?" "['here's a witness!" exclaimed Jones. "Come forward," said his Worship; and a man, who gave his name as John Condon, went into the witness-box. "Well, what hare you to say?" he was asked. "Well, I am the man who broke that door," said Condon. ' / Jones was immediately discharged, and Condon was accused in his stead. Condon was fined ,£l, and ordered to p&y 10s. for the damage to the door. CHINESE CATCHES A THIEF. Joseph Johnston admitted stealing 4s. Id. from the till of Kwong Tai Chong. The circumstances, as disclosed by the prosecution, were that, when tho Chinese was occupied at the back of his premises, he heard money .tinkling in the shop. He looked through the window, and saw Johnston leaning across the .counter, with his hand in the till. He, however, caught Johnston before he could get away, and afterwards telephoned for the police. Johnston stated that he was under the influence of drink when he committed tie offence; but the police declared that le was sober. Accused was fined .£2.

Sj HKR MEANS OF LIVING. i Annie M.Groth pleaded guilty to a \ charge of insobriety, and not guilty to a S charge of being a rogue and a vagabond. £ Constables Doyle and M'Kelvey gave eviV denco that the woman had no honest i means of obtaining a living, and that she f. lived by solicitation. s Tlio accused, who'protested tliat she (j was housekeeping, and that she also did w other work, declared that the police evigj deuce was falss. The case was remanded till to-day >n order to give accused an opportunity of calling evidence, . SLEEVE LINKS. ' J John Samuel Taylor was accused of the I theft of a pair.of sleeve links, valued at ! 155., the property of William Burton. Taylor didnot deny the accusation, but B stated that -lip had been drinking at the »' time, and in any case had intended to reis deem the links" from pawn and ' return \ them. In addition, he had supposed that |i they belonged to S friend of his. ' He was convicted and ordered to come h up for sentence when called on. $■ . •. ,-OTHER OASES.-" v <■■■ k Last week John Miles AVnkefield was [il before the Court charged with absconding I from bail in 100 G. At the Teeniest of Chief £ Detective Broberg the case was remanded J till yesterday.. When Wakefield rcapi( reared yesterday the chief detective asked I leave to withdraw ihe charge. Leave was r granted. t Alfred Nelson was committed to the.Su- !> premp Court for sentence on a charge of fc insulting a, woman. I Thomas Morrison was fined <£4 for com- | mittiiiK a certain act. g Frederick Diamond professed innocence i of charges of being drunk while in charge S of a horse and cart, and of breaking a t prohibition order. After the police evi- | dence had been given, however, he was J convicted on both charges, and on the I second charge was fined .?2. I YOUTHFUL MARAUDERS. i Four boys, aged 13, 11, 13, and 12, were 3 dealt with in the Juvenile Court vespect- | ing charges .of stealing 1851b. of lead be-. :i| longing to G. Stephens. They had sold 3 lead for -£1 ss. Two were committed to |j St. Mary's Home, and all were sentenced