THE COURTS-TO-DAY.

Evening Star, Issue 11943, 20 July 1903, Page 5

THE COURTS-TO-DAY.

City court.

(Befpre'C C.-Graham, Esq., S.M.) Dnmkertnjss.—-Three first' offenders were sich fined 5s or twenty-four hours.'' Vagrancy.—James Creighton alias Cooper pleaded guiltv to beingfound by night in the enclosed yard yard of the ' Otago Daily Times' Company.—The Sub-inspector explained that the man had been sleeping in outhouses for some time past. This was the second time he had been found in the yard of the 'Times' Company.—Accused was further charged with vagrancy, and after evidence had been given by Constable Williams, Detective Livingstone, and Sergeant Dew, His Worship decided to give the man a chance, to go away and look for work. He was convicted and discharged on 'the first charge, and convicted and ordered to come for sentence on the second. Drunk on Sunday.—John Robertson E leaded guilty to being found drunk at outh Dunedin yesterday, and was fined 20s or forty-eight hours. Accused was further charged with damaging a lace collarette, valued at 10s, the property of Elizabeth M'Donald.—The Sub-inspector explained that accused and two others went into the Railway Hotel at South Dunedin, which recently lost its license, and demanded a drink. Accused was told that he could not get one, whereupon he created a disturbance. He assaulted Mrs M'Donald, of the hotel, and tore her lace collar.—-Ac-cused denied striking the woman intentionally. She struck him, and he merely nut bis hand up to ward her off.—His Worsh p inflicted a fine of 20s, and ordered accused to make good the damage done, in default a week's imprisonment. Charges .'gainst Publicans.—William Collie (Southern Hotel), James Knox (Farmers' Anns), John Joseph Connor (Criterion), John Barlow (Caledonia, Walker streeti, and Alexander Palmer (Wain's) were all charged with committing a breach of the Licensing Act by failing to keep a lamp lighted over the door of their hotels from sunset to sunrise.—Mr James appeared for Collie, who pleaded guilty. Counsel, in mitigation of 'the penalty, said that defendant did not get a caution.—His Worship: I believe it is the first time the regulations with regard to the lamps have been eni James: That is so. A number of alterations had taken place at the hotel, and a fire escape was being put up. The erection of a lamp was also another work that was put in hand, but of course everything oould not be done at once There was no defiance of the law on Collie's part. —The Sub-inspector said that several publicans were warned that proceedings would be taken against them u the regulations with regard to lamps were not complied with. —His Worship said that as a warning he would fine defendant Is and costs (7s). John Barlow was also represented by Mr James, who said that in this case the licensee had a light. He went to bed at ten o'clock, and was not called upon to sit np all night to see if the lamp was burning. Some time during the night the constable found the light out. —The Sub-inspec-tor said that some of the publicans—he did not know whether it was for the sake of economy—were.in the habit of turning the lights down, and the slightest puff of wind put them out. —Mr James: As Mr Barlow uses a candle he could not very well turn it down.—His Worship dismissed the case with a caution.

James Knox did not appear, and was fined Is and costs.

J. J. Connor said that he had a lamp in the passage sufficient to show, plenty of fight outside. He had also arranged 'with the Corporation to keep the lamp at the corner burning, but on learning that this was not sufficient he at once placed the matter for the erection of a lamp in the hands of a licensed plumber.—Dismissed with a caution.

Alexander Palmer pleaded not guilty.— Constable Lee and Sergeant Higgins gave evidence as to finding the light out.—The defendant said that he always kept the lamp burning, and it was burning at a quarterpast twelve on the date in question.—Dismissed with a caution.

By-law Cases. —For riding a bicycle on the footpath at St. Kilda, Arthur Thompson was fined 10s and costs (7s). —George Tfllouch, for allowing the chimney of his promises in Walker street ot catch fire, was fined Is, without co?ts. El-treating a Horse.—John Outram, charged with this offence, pleaded guilty.— The Sub-inspector explained that the defendant was fonnd by Sergeant Gilbert dming the horse while it had an open sore under the collar of the harness. The. defendant, on being spoken to about it, immediately took out the horse and put in another one.—Mr Hanlon, who appeared for the defendant, said that, technically, his dient was guilty of ill-treating the horse. When he left the house the sore was healed up, but driving the horse into town had »pened it again.—Fined 10s- and costs. A Prohibition Order.—A prohibition order aras granted against a young man or< the implication of his father (for whoa Mr Hanlon appeared). j Perjury.—Carlyle Park was charged that on the 11th June, in a case where a separation order was prayed for, he did commit j perjury by swearing that he did not strike Bis wife, Annie Park, with his shut fist, cut her head open, or push her down, or cause her to fall and faint; and that he did not on any occasion cause her to fall upon the pavement Mr Hanlon appeared for accused.—This case was previously heard on Friday last Further evidence was called for the prosecution—Charles Charnley stated that he saw Park strike his wife witL his fist and knock her down.—Harry liss said he saw Mrs Park hanging on to the fcr:ce and Park hi'tin" her with a j stick.—Mr Hanlon submitted that the case should be dismissed, and proceeded to show the conflict of testimony between Miss Benjamin and Mr Carew as to accused's statements. It waa absolutely necessary that the two witnesses shou'd agree. The police had produced absolutely no evidence to show that Mrs Park fell on the pavement or that she was forced out of the house. The charge hud been burnished up m order to try and make a case against the man, because Miss Benjamin was defeated m tie previous case.—His Worship said that he nad doubts on some of the points mentioned in tire information, but he thought that accused made one statement which had been sufficiently contradicted. Accused would be committed for trial, bail beine allowed in his own recognisance of £IOO, and one surety of a like amount.

Shoplifting.—Christina Aldred, against ivhom a series of charges of stealing from business premises .' were laid, was first sharged with stealing two goloshes, valued at 4s, the property of J. P. Simon. Mi Hanlon defended.-—The Sub-inspector explained that on the night of Saturday week the articles mentioned taken fiom informant's shop in Pnnces street by accused. The same evening the police learched accused's house, and there found the goloshes.—For the defence, Mr Hanlon said that he would call accused and her little girl to prove that the latter picked the goloshes up near Mr Betting's butcher's stoop, South Dunedin.—Accused said that shq was never in town on the night in question. Her daughter four d the go oshes, which were wrapped up in paper, at South Dunedin.—Maud Aldred gave corroborative evidence.—Hie Worship declined to believe the evidence for the defence. He thereupon convicted accused, but deferred passing sentence until after the hearing of the other charges. Christina Aldred and Maud Aldred were sharged with, on the 3rd inst., stealing five imibrellas, va'tred at 17s 6d, the property of Charles Johnson.—The police withdrew thß charge against the girl.—Mr Hanlon then applied for a remand on the ground that he was not prepared to go on. It was necessary for him to cpnsider whether ho should appeal in the previous case. He aiiu waited to consult with accused as to what she should do with regard to the other charges. He was nothing to take upon himself the responsibility of putting the girl into the box again if the Court d£ cuned to believe her. He also wished to consider whether he should not have all the charges treated as indictable offences, and -7u t^ m t0 the Su P r cme Court to deai with.—This case, together with ten otters, was then ordered to stand over until Friday. . ,>

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