THE COURTS-TO-DAY.

Evening Star, Issue 7450, 20 February 1888, Page 2

THE COURTS-TO-DAY.

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

(Before E. H. Carew, Esq., R.M.)

Butler Bros. v. R. Crawford. Claim, L3B 8s 3d, balance due on a promissory note. —Judgment was given for defendant, it appearing that he had not been given due notice of the dishonoring of the note. R, Mill v. T. George.—Claim, L 5 13s 6d, for wages.—Judgment was|given for plaintiff, with costs. C. Moore v. C, Strachan.—Claim, L2l 3a 9d, for goods supplied. Judgment was given for plaintiff, with costs. J. Gilmour v. J. Hadfield.—Claim, LI Os sd, for timber supplied. Judgment was given for plaintiff, with costs. T. Holland v. W, Hastie.—Claim, L 7, damages for trespass of cattle. Mr Barclay appeared for plaintiff; Mr Macdonald for defendant.—Judgment was given for defendant.

A. Shaw v. J. Kedzlie,—Claim, L 5, for trespass of cattle, Mr Wilkinson appeared for plaintiff; Mr Macdonald for defendant, who paid 10s into Court.—Judgment was given for plaintiff for the amount paid into Court, with costs to the defendant. James Scott v. Richard J. Matthews.— Claim, L3O, amount of money paid by plaintiff to defendant for a piano which was represented to be in good condition, but which plaintiff alleged was completely worn out. Mr A. Adams appeared for plaintiff; Mr Denniston for defendant. (Left sitting.)

CITY POLICE COURT. (Before Messrs 11. Chisholm and A. Christophers, J.P.s.) Drunkenness.— James O'Connor was convicted and discharged ; Patrick Moriarly, Geonje Thomas, William Grant, Joseph Duthie, and John Owen were finedSs, in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment; Susan Garin, Matilda Christie, William 0. Scully, and Samuel Hill, 10s, or forty-eight hours’.

Disorderly Behaviour. —Nicholas Clark pleaded guilty to a charge of being drunk and disorderly, and was fined 40s, in default a week’s imprisonment. A charge of a somewhat similar character was preferred against Alexander Johnston, who also pleaded guilty.— Sergeant-major Bevin said that the accused was making a great noise in Cumberland street on Saturday night, and violently kicking at a door. He was under the influence of drink.—Fined 20s, or three days’ imprisonment. A Nuisance. Henry Hollander was charged with allowing nightsoil to be spilled on the public streets on the night of Thursday last.—Constable M'Crae and Sergeant Mulville gave evidence as to the commission of the offence.—Mr T. Keates asked to be allowed to speak, as he was the defendant’s employer, and permission being granted Mr Keates explained that the tanks used were the property of the City Corporation, and until they were used it was impossible to tell whether they were tight,—The Bench took it to be the duty of the man using the tanka to see that they were fit for the purpose, and imposed a fine of 10s, with costs. The Railway Regulations. —The charge against Allan Bishop of travelling in a. carriage of a superior class to that for which he was provided with a ticket was withdrawn on the application of the police. Vagrancy.— W.M‘ Cullenwa.a charged with having insufficient lawful means of support. Sergeant-major Bevin said that this defendant and two women, one of whom was his wife, kept a brothel in Grange street, and for the last twelve months accused had beenliving on the fruits of prostitution. The rows in his house had become intolerable. —Sergeant Mulville said that he had known accused for over twelve months, and during that time he had not done any work. On the 16th witness saw a lot of people outside the house, and Jessie Harvey standing at the door with a tomahawk in her hand. She remarked to witness “You are late for the row.” Accused always tried to evade the police, and his wife had complained that if she did not get money for him he beat her. Witness had seen her face in a bruised state. “In fact, your Worships,” added witness, “ this man is the laziest and lowest vagrant in the City,” —Constable Daly gave corroborative evidence. —Henry Gollan, who lives opposite the house occupied by accused, said that M'Cullen got his living by keeping the lowest brothel in the town, and had done no work for twelve months. The place was a nuisance to the neighborhood. —Alexander Baxter, another neighbor, said that the house was a brothel, and that he did not know that accused got his living by lawful means,— Sergeant-major Bevin remarked that accused was a cook, but was too lazy to work.—Accused made a brief statement in which he denied that he was without lawful means of support. He took work when he could get it.—The Bench were satisfied that the charge had been very clearly proved, and that it was a very bad case, so much so that they would inflict a sentence of three months’ imprisonment, with hard labor. Mary M'Cullen, the wife above referred to, burst into tears on being charged with the same offence, and pleaded guilty, but said she got money from her father.—The police put in a record of twenty-eight previous convictions for drunkenness, obscene language, and vagrancy.—Accused asked the Bench to give her the s&me sentence as her husband, which prayer was granted, accused being sent to prison for a term of three months.

Jessie Harvey, the third party joined with this charge, denied that she was guilty, Sergeant-major Bevin described her as one of the lowest prostitutes in the City and an expert hand at robbing drunken men.—Sergeant Mulville and Constable Daly also testified to her bad character, the former saying that she was very quarrelsome and dangerous.—Accused conducted herself in the Court in a most violent manner, interrupting Bench and witnesses, and exhibiting the greatest contempt for her surroundings. Taking advantage of one of the brief pauses in her torrent of abuse, the Bench intimated that it was not necessary to proceed further with the case; accused would be sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. More violent speech on the part of accused, and an unwished-for tarrying to argue the point and fold some letters which she had handed to the Bench ; the painful scene being terminated by one of the constables removing her by main force.