MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 89, 9 January 1919, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

STRONG WORDS FROM THE . BENCH A rather curious case, and one that prompted some caustic comments from tho -jß'nch, came before- Mr; i'V V. , Krazer, SaMo'" yesterday --morning. '" A ■ soldier named John James "Kiiigiit was cluuged witli linving nssiiultcd Emily.Logan so as to catisolier "lict'iinl .bodily harm." On tho.«iiplic\ition of.the police, the charge was reduced' to."ono of , uoinmoii nssault. Uyidenco was. then called. Dr. ilackin. said, that on January-.]-ho.-.examinod- the - iyonian- 'Logan,, and found her to be suffering "from ■α-wonnd on tlie..top"i)f.her,head. H'ic was in a■ dangei-oiis .condition', at the., timo, but was : now; quite -out •of daiigei , . Tho wound was -ono that might ..have been caused-.either by-a blow or by a fall. Kmily' Logan, tlie complainant, snid that' she had .bjson living with the ac- • ciised.for yeai\ Both she. and tho accused had had some liquor on ilunuary 1..-. Knight had aslced her-to , awaken'him-at-.a, Qcrl-ain time, fflieii • she--woke hini, as he- thought, top early, he had a bit, of an- argument witli her, anil-merely pushed her awny from.him.She tripped on a mat and full, inflicting the-;Wimiu! ■ which< .the doctor had de- . feribed. ...... . A -neighbour who had been called in to Logan --when- she was injured,, gave evidence tliiit she-bad said ,to the accused that the neighbours were cpriiplain- - ing- about , the mannor-.in-which he treated Logan.: .;- '.. ... ■■■■ .-. ■ -..-: .Khight.in tho.witness-box told the same story as the '■ complainant herself had . toldV .'•,.. ... :.- = ■ ■-. . ■'■:'■: ."■.:.'. In dismissing the-charge, tho Mngis- • trate-said: "It. is protty. obvious'that" there- was-something..in the nature.of, a ";half-dr«nk»n quni'rel between the two parties to the..case.. .'From what the woman-said-to somebody else after the occurrence, ih would . appear ; £hat. there was more than- (v.mere push .or a,fall Apparpiitlywhat'-went on between-the man Knight';and tho woman.,Lo.«m. at, tracted the attention of the neighbours. . :'-:■■ However ; on the. other-side, tho persons principally concerned both say Hint tho injury-was- due. to-a fall causnd by lofjan'e trippinpon the mat. Knisht ndnlits :that hepuFhed her; but eaysthnt it-was only to push her away from him. T don't- believe .it. • but I havo to take Hint evi'louce. ■ "What the woman wns doiiij taking nti-with a.dninken little, vat like that I don't know, but ther"is nn accountinsr for womon'e instep. I won't believe her next time, Knisrht. <'fniclndo(l'the Jfagistrnte,- "so don't do it ' Spain."' . ' -.' ' ■ ■ Knisht was ordered to pay expensos ■ amounting to two guineas. -. THEFT OF A VALUABLE RING. Thomas-Perry .was'charged, with the" thettof a gold, and diamond ring, valued at-.£120, tub property, of John Collins, licensee .of.-, a Jhinedin hotel.. Chiof-Dotective Boddam stated that on Novombjr-3 Collins was a passenger from Lyttelton to Wellington -.■by" the s.s. Maori . .Tus-t before landing m Wellington in the morning, he-went to wash his hauds in the bathroom. Ho took - off his Ting at the.time, and. later on, oiler he had quitted the vessel, ho no- " iced that he. had left the ring behind. He at once went back and inquired of the stewards, among whom was the accused, whether any of-them had sf-en the article. All denied' having seen it, and it was not to be found. The police took the ■ matter up,- and the investigation.culminated,in'a search of the accuseds eflects. The ring was discovered in thcaccusedH possession, and tho accused - admitted having, stolen it. ■ ■ ■ -. After-evidence, had-been given by the OWlier of the ring and by Detective Carney (who had--investigated the case), ■ Perry entered a plea of-guilty, and was committed to , tho Supreme Court for sen- ; , Bail "in one surety of .£SO .was allowed. . : .. ALLEGED'BIGAMY. ■: William Gathgate White was charged with having coimnitted bigamy in July, 1017,. by going-through, a form of marriage with Alice Winter when ho was already married to Ester Louisa Sim-, hionds. 'Ho was also charged with hav»mj on , two occasions made a false dcclarr ation for the purpose of securing a registrar's certificate. . •■- . .- ■AlT.'-O'Lear)'' appeared for the acii.iised.. • • Ihs'pectdf-iMaisack -said , that ac- . cUsed ,, was ■married - on ,'f line 13,11)06, at the''Registrar's' Office,- Wellington, to Ester Louisa. -Simmonds. He left her -in 1909, but.'saw her again at least twice in 191 G. On May2s,■ 3917,-lib wrat to tho Registrar's'■'"Ol'fi'ce, and represented that although"ho hail been married to Ester. Simmondii; he hndnot seen her'nor heard of her for eight years. Hβ wished to spenre a certificate in. order to marry aJU'fs R.ussolV. ,, The- proposed marriago with that lady did not eventuate, and White presented himself at. the "office for the eecpnd time in .Tuljvwisiiinj on that . occasion to secure ,'n: certificate for -his ■ marriagewith Alice Winter. .The Registrar warned him 'of the ' consequences that would"follow' were it to: be shown ,- that a false-declaration with regard to his previous-marriiic" , . but Whiti , persisted, obtained the csrtifl-.. cute,"arid : went hrnngh tha form of marriairp with Miss AViutcr. , : ! ' ',Evidence to the aliove effete was-given- . by several witness^ s . • ■ ■ ■■ W' , ite" ; ple'aded not guilty, and'.reserved' his "defpnee.■ i"H*-.-wa.s 'committed for trial' in-the' Supreme Court:" Boil was allowed in'ono surety of ,£i)6. ' "-" ■ . - . ';"... .'.' .INSOBRIETY. ■ :•. . Mand Grant .was.fined: 10?. for insobriety., The .alternative, to payment, of the fine was liked ..-at'forty-eight! hours' impri.-onniont. ■ ■■,' ■ One first offender waa cojivicted of insobriety and discharged, while another, . lvho'did not apppnr, had his. bail,, ten shillings, estreated. . .'■ ...!....