MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2764, 6 May 1916, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

THEFT

Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., presided at resterday's sitting of tho Magistrate's Court, and among cases he had to deal ivith was. one, in which a„ particularly . mean theft was admitted Jjy Ernesf Bray, • 28:. years of . age. 'It appeared that Bray -gave a number of children a ride to school in a vehicle, which lie was driving,- and !on 'the WiUK shoitii a 'two-, shilling piece, which had heen given to one of the children to defray some school expenses. Defendant took the money, and with it purchased-liquoi-. He -was fined 205., and ordered to ' pay 4s. for tho ex-, penses. of a witness, Default n ; as fixed at seven days' imprisonment. John Oliver Armstrong, 62 " years of age, was sent lo gaol for a ■ month :fbr stealing an oilskin overcoat. \ ; ;

AN INFORMATION DISMISSED. The" Inspector of Awards proceeded against J. Beirne on'a charge of wilfully making a false entry in'a wage-book in respect of wages paid to J. Hellon. Delendaut is the 'proprietor of the Metropolitan Hotel in Molesworth Street, and it was alleged , that the wage-book' had; been altered in such a. way. as to. make it! appear that" Hellon, late barman, had received .S2 ss. in one certain week, - whereas the Wages paid were .{'3. AVhen questioned by the Inspector,,. Mrs. ; Beirne, wife of the licensee, admitted the offence, and staled that tho reason for the-act was that she 'wished to mislead the new' barman in respect to the wages' paid.-Mr. E. M. Beechey, who represented defendant, submitted that the charge must fail, as no offence had been proved against the actual licensee. lii this' view, the Magistrate concurred, and-dismissed the information. .

BY-LAW CASES. ' Tor breaches of the by-laws relating to traffic, lighting, etc., t'he following persons were fined:—James Patrick. Hassett, £1, with costs 75.; Patrick Arthur, 10s., with costs 75.; Walter Cole, 10s., with' costs 75.; Mack Murray, 55., with costs 75.; Arthur Raymond Williams, 55., With casts 75.; and Robert Eeid, 55., with costs ■75.-" Walter Eosevear, charged withi aiding awl abetting a breach of the by-laws, iras convicted and discharged. ' • . H. Croucher was convicted and discharged for. failure'to pay a tram fare. __In the caso against Philip Francis Kean, .who was charged wit& standing on, a. tramcar platform after being .re-

quested by the conductor to shift, tho information was dismissed. The ' Magistrate, also dismissed tho information against* Arthur Osborne, who was charged with a hose without .having a. water.meter installed. HOUSE OF ILL-FAME. Kathleen Grey, a young woman, who was convicted of keeping a house of illfame in Taranaki Street, was ,£5, with '.costs; 75., in'default to undergo a, month's - -imprisonment. Mr. ( H. F. O'Leary appeared for the defendant. ,: . REMANDS GRANTED. . James Hobirisoh was remanded until May 8 on a charge of obscene exposure, to which he pleaded. iibtVguilty. : . A. remand until this morning was granted in tho case against Frank Bryce jr,Carthy,:'who is charged with failing to raukc provision for an unborn child. 1 ■' OTHER BUSINESS/ - Bert Silett, 17. years of fcge, - was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon for travelling on tho Nilvuii "from. Duuedin to 'Wellington without paying his fare. ' Persons convicted of drunkenness were penalised as follow:—John Kelly, fined 405., with the option of seven daya' imprisonment ;. Jesse Underwood, fined- 10s., or 4$ hours' imprisonmentSeveral first-offending . inebriates. were dealt' With.in tlio '-usual lenient manner. John Joseph Landers, wlio was guilty of an indecent act while drunk, was fined -J!2 10s., and was allowed time to find tho money. For using 'threatening -"behaviour in Bunny Street, John Murphy ivas .fined 10s., the!alternative, being 48, hours' imprisonment. A soldier named John Hayes was convicted and discharged' for assaulting a man named James Grant. For failing to attend drill, John William Fairman was convicted and ordered to pay Court costs.

... CIVIL ACTION. Sitting, in civil jurisdiction, Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., heard a case in which the New Zealand Federated Furniture Trade Industrial Union of Workers proceeded against tho Scoullnr Co., Ltd., to'-recover the-sum of iCIO for an alleged breach of an award. It was alleged 1 that the defendant company failed to pay an enSployee travelling expenses between defendants' factory in Walter Street and a job on which he was employed at Kelburn. Mr. T.\JI. Wilford appeared for the plaintiff union/ while defendant company was represented bv M;\' T. S. Weston. After hearing lengthy legal argument, the Magistrate reserved his decision.