RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 545, 25 June 1879, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

THIB DAT. (Before Me.«srs. Holdsworth, Graham, and Major Heaphy, J.P.'s.) I»BB*IETY. William Madden and James White pleaded guilty to tMs offence, and were fined 5s each, or in default 24 hours' imprisonment. A DWIUSB IK A CAVE. William Percy-, an emaciated-looking being, with a mass of unkempt hair hanging about his neck, appeared to answer a charge of having no visible means of support. He pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Anderson informed the Bench that ia consequence of information received by him yesterday, he dispatched Constables Laurie and Donovan to Lyell's Bay to bring in the accused, who, he was led to believe, was in a frightful state. Accused was brought up on the 3rd of August, -1878, on a charge of vagrancy. Constable Laurie deposed that yesterday afternoon, in company with Constable Donovan, he proceeded to Lyell's Bay, and there discovered the accused in a cave. He had nothing on but a shirt. There were no provisions in the cave, but there were some empty bottles and a kerosene tin. He was living on shell-fish and stewed moss or seaweed. In reply to the Bench, the accused stated that he bad chopped his hand about two yean

ago. He was mending his clothes when the constables arrived, and showed them the needle and thread. He wfs in the habit of collecting bottles and mushrooms, which he sold. He also occasionally caught fish. He had been living in the cave about six weeks, and had no doubt that he could continue to support himself by these means, as thew^rere plenty of people about the district who would buy from him. The presiding Magistrates, haying enquired a* to the antecedents ot tha accused, Mid that it was the opinion of the Bench that % was a case calliDg for sympathy and assistance. The unfortunate man before them would apparently be able, to support himself. He would, therefore, be discharged, and would receive clothes and assistance from the Bene»olent Society.