MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3106, 9 June 1917, Page 12

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

CIRCULATING A FALSE RTJMOUE. Mr. L. G. Reid. S.M., prosided at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, and dealt with the police eases. /

"Drink has been my downfall" was tho piteous plea of Bryda Sheehan, an eld offender, who was charged with drunkenness, also with loitering in Olydo Quay [or immoral purposes contrary to the War Eegulations. In respect to tho latter charge, the arresting constable told a very sordid story. On tho first charge she was fined IDs., In default three days' imprisonment, and on tho second charge sho was sent to gaol for olic month. Dorothy Maud Bushott was convicted of theft on May U and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, r.ti condition that sho remained iu the Salvation Army Home for a period of sis months. She remained in tho Homo for a few days and then escaped. Since then she had been in hospital and had undergone art operation. Sho -was brought up yesterday for sentence. Tho Magistrate took a lenient view of her case, and ajain .rdered her to come up for sentence when tailed upon, provided she remained at her sisteT's home. A fine of 10s.. and co6t9 75., was imposed upon Mary Nausbaum, a second-hand denier, who on May 29 bought & secondhand suit of clothes after 6 p.m. Clarence Moore was convicted of making u"o of improper language on the King's Wharf, contrary to the Harbour Board by-laws, and was fined ?os.. imd ordered to pay costs lis., tho alternative being seven days' imprisonment. PTJBLICA2T IK COTJTtT. Percy Rogers, licensee of the To Aro Hotel, for whom Mr. T. Young appeared, was eharged with permitting drunkenness on his licensed;- premises. According n the evidence for the prosecution, Sergeant M'Kelvle and a constable visited; tho hotel about 9.20 p.m. on May 26, and found a returned soldier in the bar in a state of helpless drunkenness. The attention of the licensee was called to tho man's condition, and the licensee immediately put tho man ont. Sergeant. M'Kelvie stated that the houso .was well. conducted. Jlr. T. Young, for the defendant, said that, the latter wan unaware that tho man was on the premises until his attention was called to the- fact br the sergeant or police. The returned soldier waß in the hotel earlier in the evening, and was ad-

vised by the licensee to go homo and navo a sleep. Evidence was given by the licensee, the barman, and the soldier. Tho Magistrate said theTC was no di>ect evidence that the licensee knew that the man was on the premises, and there was no evidence that the barman faw the roan come in*o th* hoVI. He therefore dismissed tho case without prejudice. ■

A FALSE EUMOTJTI. . , Circulating a false rumour cost Ernest Albert Tanner a. round sum. It appears that on fit. Palriok's Day Tanner went into a hairdresser's cstablisli-mcnr., nnd producing a. letter whJch. ho said bo had received from his brother, circulated a report, to tho effect, that a riot had. occurred in Fcatherston Military Uarap, and that 10 casualties had resulted', and that suicides were frequent in camp, which import was falso and calculated to cause harm contrary to tho War Regulation. Mr. H. F. O'Lcary nppeared for accused. Two witnesses gave evidence of hearing the abused mako the 'statement. The licensed in his evidence said he got the information about tho alleged riot from Eoldicrs belongins to the Twenty-third Reinforcements, and at the time ho believed It. He had never heard anything u.boufc suicides, and could not have made any statement in that rosneet. His brother was in camp, but his brother never wrote anything sihouf. a riot. Tho Magistrate said he was satisfied that tho statement was made, perhaps wtthonfc any intention to create alarm: it was, however, a breach of the War Regulations. It. was not a. case for a heavy fine, more particularly as ono or the witnesses foT the- prosecution bod been brought from Tnvcrcargill, and his (.•*- .pense's would 1 amount to a, laTge sum. Accused was f'ned 205.. and ordered to pay costs £9 17s. RESERVISTS FINED. George William Bnruott and Frank. Oakley Skelton, Tescrvists, for failing to giro notice of change of address to the Government Statistician, were each fined IBs., and ordered, to pay costs 7s. BY-LAW CASES. r'or driving a. motor-car at an excessive speed round the corner from Willis Street into Lambton Quay, Lionel Edwards was fined 10s. and ordcrod to pay costs 7s. For failing to bo in attendance near his vehicle while ithe samo was on the stand, Douglas Wilkins was fined 10s., and ordered to pay. costs 7s. Henry Mitchell, for failing to register his dog, was fined 6b. For failing to notify an accident to_tho Inspector of Scaffolding. John R. Johnson was fined. 55., and ordered to pay costs Catherine E. Reditu, for ranking a deviation in bv-lldinsf plans after they had been submitted to the Eastboutme Borough. Engineer, was fined 10s., and ordered to pay costs 255.