THE COURTS.-TO-DAY.

Evening Star, Issue 11684, 17 February 1902, Page 4

THE COURTS.-TO-DAY.

CITY POLICE COURT. (Before 0. C. Graham. Esq., S.M.) Wife Desertion. —Edgar Allan Roper was charged with attempting to leave the colony without making provision for the maintenance of his wife, Edith Mary Roper, of Christchurch.—Chief-detective Campbell, in asking for a remand to Christchurch, explained that accused was arrested by Act-ing-detective Hill on Saturday evening.—Mr Sim, who appeared for the defence, offered no objection to the application, but asked, as accused had some business to transact here, he should not be remanded to appeal at Christchurch before Friday next. —The police consenting, accused was remanded accordingly, bail being allowed in his own recognisance of £IOO and one surety of a like amount. Drunkenness. —Robert Dalziel was convicted and discharged. On another charge of breaking a pane of glass, valued at Ids 6d, the property of W. Collie, of the Soutnern Hotel, ho was fined ss. and ordered io make good the damage. Henry W. Pearson, who has fifty-three previous convictions to his debit, pleaded hard for another chance. The Bench decided to give him an opportunity of getting quickly out of the way by recording a conviction. . By-law Offences.—Jane Farrier Logan and August Hoffman, for being the owners of horses at large without proper guidance, were fined 6s and 7s costs. Prohibition Order.—On the application of Catherine Divett a prohibition order was enforced against her husband, William rtenry Divelt. The applicant stated to the Court that Divett, who followed the occupation of a French polisher, wasted his substance by excessive drinking. Vsignuicy. —James Ivor was chai’ged ■with being 0 an idle and disorderly person, with having insufficient means of support, and habitually consorting with reputed thieves. —Chief-delective Campbell informed the Bench that accused was one of a number • f the class infesting the town at the present time. He had been repeatedly warned to go to work or leave; but did not do either. He was continually sleeping out, associating with the criminal class.—Plainclothes Constable Hill said that Ker had been loafing about the town for the past few months, and when warned to clear mt failed to do so. The accused was repeatedly consorting with convicted thieves and prostitutes.—Plain-clothes Constables Keni.euy and Connolly gave corroborative evidence.—Ker denied the police evidence,_ Mid asserted that ho had been travelling with a patent cork-puller, a statement which Chiefdetective Campbell characterised as a m;. tn. —The Magistrate said that, in view of accused’s record and the fact of his haying failed to listen to the warning's of the police, he could not overlook the offence, and therefore would sentence him to three mouths hard labor.

James Lyndimrst was charged with the same offence, and pleaded not guilty.—Chief-detective Campbell said this charge was on all-fours with the previous one.—Plain-clothes Constables Hill and Kennedy and Constable Osborne detailed the antecedents of the accused, who affirmed that he had been working on the Otago Central and at Orepuki, and also manufactured wire-netting. He called his brother, Alick Lyndhurst, in support of these statements, the latter being subjected to a rather severe cross-examination at the hands of Chiof-delective Campbell.—The Magistrate said he could not accept the evidence of A. Lyndhurst as conclusive, and on looking over the past record of the accused _ remarked that it was a very bad one. 'Jhe sentence of the Court would be three months’ hard labor.—-[The present charges were laid under the Act passed last session, dealing with persons consorting with reputable thieves and women of ill-fame.]