THE COURTS.—TO-DAY.

Evening Star, Issue 6473, 14 December 1883, Page 2

THE COURTS.—TO-DAY.

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT. (Before E. H. Oavow, Esq., K.M) • A. Jjeckio v. Q, —Claim, L 8 16s 10d- for meat supplied. —Defendant admitted the claim, and judgment was given lor plaintiff accordingly. Hallenatein Brea, v. J, Carmichael,—Claim, L 4 I ( Jj 9d, for goods supplied.—Judgment was given for plaintiffs by default. Mary Ferguson v Thomas Meddor.—Claim, LlOlOs, being LlO damages for assault, and 10s balance of account alleged to bo due. Mr M‘Gregor appeared for plaintiff.—From plaintiffs evidence it appeared that she was engaged to nurse defendant’s wife during her confinement and when settling up with defendant the sum of LI 10s was duo to her. Defendant, however, refused to give her more than LI, for which he wrote out a receipt for her to sign. She signed it, and afterwards he snatched It away from her, and a scuffle ensued, in the course of which defendant knocked her about and scratched her severely.— Dr Brown gave evidence as to having examined plaintiff and finding scratches and marks which might havo been caused in the manner stated by her.—Defendant’s version of the affair was that he only gave her LI because she had spread abroad a report that he would cheat her; he therefore declined to give her the other 10s, but told her he would give it to an independent person for her. When he gave her the LI she got the receipt away from him, and said In a jeering manner: “I’ve got your money and the receipt too, and will keep them till I get the balance.” He accused her of dishonesty, and vas proceeding to give zest to his words by laying down the law with his fingers on the table, when he saw an opportunity and snatched the receipt from her. She then knocked him into the coal-box, seized him by the armpits, and waltzed him round in a very unladylike way, If his wife bad not just then called out to him “Bend her fingers back, you fool! ’ she would have waltzed him round till a very late hour indeed. He was not a very weak man, but her bodily weight was too much for him, and although he struggled manfully he could not got clear. Eventually, through her great bodily weight, she fell down and dragged him on top'of her, and she might have hurt herself then. Ho could not account in any other way for some blood thijt wa s on her face, —His Worship said it wag very py|dent how the quarrel had arisen. Plaintiff had admitted that her fingers got hooked in defendant's waistcoat, and therefore she must havo started the scuffle; but Dr Brown’s evidence showed that defendant had used mere violence than was sufficient to get away from plaintiff, However, the matter seemed a very small one, and he would give judgment for plaintiff for 10a only, with costs (41s fid). CITY POLIOS COURT. (Before G. Eliot Eliott, Esq., J.P., and J. F. Jones, Esq., J.P.) Drunkenness. - James Tattersall was discharged ; James Savage and Janes Hinchclife were fined ss, in default twenty-four hours’ Imprisonment 5 John Dailey, drunk at the railway station, 20s or three days’, Trespass.- John Duhig, charged with trespassing on the premises of Anton Lehman, Manse street, and with refusing to leave when requested to do so, was fined ss, in default twenty-four hours' imprisonment, He was farther bound over on his own recognisance, in tho of L 5, to keep tho peace for three months,

Theft,— Thomas Waddell was charged with stealing six ingots of copper of tho value of L 5 10i, and a quantity of ingot tin of the value of lOj, the property of R. S. Sparrow. Mr D, M. Stuart appeared for the defence.—Detective Henderson asked for a remand until Monday next. The accused had been In a very responsible position under Mr Sparrow —in fact his foreman moulder. Tho ingots of copper and zinc which had been stolen from Mr Sparrow’s place were found in a dealer’s shop, and the accused had admitted selling them, The remand was gran Led, bail bemg allowed in the accused’s recognisance for LSO, and two sureties for L 25 each. Haw king Without A License.— John Cochrane, for hawking firewood for sglu without having obtained a license from the City Council, was fined 7» and costs.—For a similar offence Philip M'lmchlm, a lad, was fined 5s and costs. Unregistered Tom.— Edward Loft admitted having an unregistered dog in his possession, and was fined Is and coats. PORT CHALMERS POLICE COURT. (Before Messrs A. Thomson and J. Goldis, J.P.s.) A vs eh T Without Leave.— Charles Colley, petty officer (4 Tongariro, who was charged with being absent without leave, pleaded guilty, —John Bone, chief officer, stated that defendant was on the ship’s articles as boiler-maker, aud ranked as one of the officers. He was expected to keep up the discipline of the vessel in thecDgineer’sdepartment. During the passage defendant bad on several occasions been the worse for liquor. The only persons authorised to give liberty to the crew were Captain Hallett, the chief engineer, and witness. Defendant was

on shore t-Tw whole of the day.—John Miller, thief engineer, corroborated t-Uo cWef officer's etatement, and added that during ibc passaco dofen«iUut wa,i uu several occasions unlit to perform his utics, —O- - nfcr.n X?.c.llti t informed the Boe.oh th.:-c- ii.-ca,:.,! i ooe.'ue'. ’< ad beer must dlagracemi darba-, -..'in; ravage. Ho bad b-'-en iu the hobitof making hideous noisesatnighc, disturbing the pasaengorsi, and had been brought before witness on two or three occasions. On the night that the vessel arrived at the Heads witness was compelled to place him in confinement, but he was liberated by someone and went on shore. When witness next saw him ho was beastly drunk. Witness considered him a most disreputable man to ho on board any vessel.—ln defence, accused stated that ho had been at sea for a number of years, and this was the first time that he had misconducted himself, as his discharges would prove. He was very sorry for what had happened, and trusted that their Worships would deal leniently with him. Ho promised that such a thing should not happen again.—ln answer to the Bench, Captain Hallett stated ho had no wish to have the accused on board again. —The Bench sentenced accused to sew.n days’ imprisonment, with hard labor,

John 11, Ilolt/son, second engineer, pleaded guilty to being afi.uat on the loth last. —Mr Bono, chief officer, stated the accused went on shore yesterday morning without leave, and on returning to the ship behaved in a most insubordinate manner.—John Miller, the chief engineer, stated that accused went on shore yesterday morning without permission. When ho returned on board witness spoke to him, and he made use of most abusive language, He was away about three-quarters of an hour, during which time the ship was loft in danger, the donkey engine being at work, and Instead of pumping water on deck it was flooding the engine-room. Witness was not aware of the water being in the engine room until the head fireman called his attention to it, when he (witness) shut the valves of the engine. It was against the discipline of the ship for the second engineer to go on shore for three-quarters of an hour without permission.— Captain Hallett informed the Bench that defendant had been reported to him during the passage. He was most incompetent for the position he held. When witness spoke to accused the latter behaved in a most disrespectful manner. He was addicted to drink during the passage.—Accused admitted having made use of abusive language,—The Bench said that they had only power to deal with the charge of being absent. The time of his absenos was very short, but there were other incidents surrounding the case which compelled them to look at . the offence as a grave one —Defendant would be lined 20s, forfeit two days’ pay, and pay coats.

William Power/', Thomas Hewitt, and High Moore, seamen, were charged with being absent without leave on the 13th inat., and ordered to forfeit two days’ pay and pay costs. Disobedience of Commands. William Steaiman, third engineer, wm charged with disobedience of lawful commands on the 13th Inst. -John Miller, chief engineer, stated that yesterday morning he ordered defendant to overhaul the engines, and ho replied that he would not do so. He seemed to bo under the influence of liquor, and wanted to go on shore, as ho had some complaints to make in reference to his wine bill being stopped. Witness told him to go, but afterwards countermanded the order,—Captain Hallett stated that defendant came to him yesterday morning and asked to go on shore, Witness inquired of the, chief engineer if he could spare him, whereupon he stated that he would not go to work, and threatened to shoot any one who dared to stop him from going on shore. Defendant wanted advice because witness had stopped his wine bill, That had been done because there had been a great deal of drunkenness.—Defendant told the Bench that he got excited on the chief engineer countermanding the leave to go ashore, - Their Worships ordered the defendant to forfeit two days’ pay and pay costs. Insulting Language. The complaint of Emily Taylor against Thomas Cunningham was dismissed.