RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT. THIS DAY. (Before J. C. Crawford; Esq., R.M.) DRINK AND ITS RESULTS.

Evening Post, Volume XV, Issue 283, 3 December 1877, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT. THIS DAY. (Before J. C. Crawford; Esq., R.M.) DRINK AND ITS RESULTS.

John Sheehan, laborer, was fined 10s and costs for drunkenness j_ John O'Connor and Win. Bell were fined 5s and costs each ; Alex. Campbell and Charles Brown for the same offence, aggravated by very disorderly conduct, had to pay 40s and costs each ; and Michael Hogan, for a similar offence of less serious nature, was mulcted in the penalty of 20s and costs. THE ALLEGED ASSAULT ON ASSISTANT- . . • PILOT HOLM. Charles Howard, Charles Beckstrom, aud . Lancelot Holmes were charged Mith assaulting Fernand Holm. Mr. Gordon Allen appeared for complainant, and Dr. Buller for the three defendants. Beckstrom pleaded guilty, under great provocation, and Howard and Holmes plehded'not guilty. From the evidence of the prosecutor it appeared that there was some ill-blood ¦between" him and the thiae defendants, in consequence of some changes which had taken place in the pilot staff, and which were ascribed to evidence given by him, at an official enquiry. On the ' 24th instant witness went to the Heads in the steamer Moa, and landed at the pilot station at night. Beckstiom assisted him in an apparently friendly manner, but immediately afterwards struck, him several blows' on the face. ! The ; two other defendants carae.up find kicked him., pulled his whiskers, and otherwise assaulted him. : - ' > ..t Dr. Harding deposed to the nature of prosecutor's injuries. - ¦ ' "'. > Captain Butt, of the Moa, said he saw 'what appeared to be a generp 1 fight between prosecutor and the three defendants. He heard some one call out " Don't kick him when he's down," but he was too far off to distinguish voices or persons. Charles Howard, carpenter, one of the defendants, said he was at the pilot station on the 24th ult/, when he "heard 1 &t6v," and on ¦ running down to the beach he saw the complainant and Beckstrom fighting; witness tried to separate them, but could not do so; that was his whole share in the transaction ; Pilot Holmes came up soon afterwards, and lifted Holm from the ground, where he was then lying. Xauncelot Holmes, another of- the defendants, said he was on the look-out, watching the Moa, when be heard a cry for help coming from the rocks below ; he ran down, and found Holm on t'ae ground ; he lifted him up by the shoulder, and ordered him to "clear out ;" witness did not see a blow struck, but he ¦understood from the conversation which took place, that Beckstrom and Holm had had " a fair, stand-up fight." In cross-examination witness said he was not very friendly to Holm, because the latter_ had insulted his wife, and there had been some disturbance about it ; he had threatened to put Holm in the duck-pond, but he did not strike him. Mr. Crawford, in delivering judgment, said he considered that the evidence entirely exonerated Pilot Holmes and Charles Howard, and the charge against them would therefore be dismissed. The assault in Beckstrom 's case was admitted, and he would be fined 50s and costs, or in default seven days' imprisonment.