MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Evening Post, Volume XLVII, Issue 87, 13 April 1894, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Thib Dat. (Before Mr. J. C. Martin, 8.M.) DRUNKENNEBB. One first offender was fined. ■JHBKATBNING TO BHOOT. Alex. Sbearor, a young and sickly-looking man, pleaded Not Guilty to the charge of threatening to shoot his wife, Mercier Shearer, with a revolver ou Monday last, at their residence in brummond's Lane. Mr. T. VVilford appeared for tho accused. The offence appeared to have been tbe result of a jealous fit. The informant e«id her hut* band wrongfully accused her of. unfaithfulness, and declared that be would shoot her. She waa in fear of her life. She did not see any revolver in her hueband's hands at any time. Two witnesses named Platt and GraiDger were also examined, i Jons table Black proved tbe arrest of tbe prisoner, who, on his way to the lockup, passed something to bis brother, which at the watch-house proved to be a loaded revolver. TbU his brother had concealed in his coat pocket. For the defence, Mr. Wilford admitted that his client borrowed a revolver, with which he intended to put an tmd to hia own life, believing that his wife had been false to him. This statement was corroborated by the accused, who declared that he had never threat ned his wife's life. The accused was bound over to keep the peace fur tix months, in two sureties of J620 each. TJNfcAWFUI.I.T GAMINQ. Henry Harness plead «d Not Guilty to having played au unlawful game of chance at Porirua oa tbe 25th March, and was defended by Mr. Skcrrett. A witnees named Kipjiß- Baldwin, a Marton volunteer, jrave evidence that he was in camp at Porirua on Easter Sunday, and visited a tent on that evening in the encampment, wh^re he saw the defendant, who produced two gamingcloths npon which were depicted a variety of numerals and diagrams. Three dice ana a box were produced, and witness and other of his comrades played with the defendant. Witness lost to the defendant all the change he had about him except a threepenny bit. Hs became suspicions that defendant had "palmed" & die, and he accused him of cheating. Defendant swept the silver off

the cloth and cleared out of the tent, but was followed by witnesa and other volunteers, and defendant was lodged in the canteen. He considered he had been cheated by defendant, because he found that the " palmed " die referred to had only two orowns marked upon it. The odds, consequently, were terribly against the player. Defendant gave witness back 15s before he wan arrested by the guard. Lieut. -Colonel Newall, who wat in oommand oi the Pprirua encampment, stated that he had investigated the matter, and received a die from Baldwin whioh had no crown upon it, and whioh he said he had received from the defendant. Subsequently upon defendant were found three other dice upon each of which were two crowns. Detective Herbert deposed that the game in question should be played with four dice iuntead of throe, that was if the players wero placed on anything Hire the same level as the banker. The defendant, who reserved hi« defence, was committed for trial, bail being allowed, in two sureties in £25 eaoh. CRUELTY TO PIOB. William Dimook was charged with having ill-treated two pigs on tho 30th March, by striking them on the head with the flat of an axo. Mr. Young appeared to prosecute on behalf of the Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, whilst Mr. Wilford appearod for tho defendant. Evidence for the prosecution was to the effect that defendant struck two pi if s heavily on their heads with the flat of the blade of an axe, in a yard at the corner of Featherston and Pftnama-stroets. The animals wero stunned but not killed, and were taken away in an exprens. The defence waa that defendant, who waa an experienced pork butcher, intended to stun the pigs prior to sticking them, and he used the axe for the purpose. Finding the yard was too large, he thought it better to send the pigs ont to Kaiwarra in an express rather than kill them in town. His Worship said defendant was liable to a fine for ondeavonring to kill the pigs in the oity. The case was not one of wilful oruelty, and therefore he would merely impose a fine of ss, together with £2 7s costs.