THIS COURTS

Evening Star, Issue 12397, 10 January 1905, Page 4

THIS COURTS

CTTY POLICE COURT: (Before 0. 0; Gralram< Esq., &M.) Dnmkenness.—Ellen M'Gee was'sent to gaol for three months. Edward Martin was fined &Vor twenty-four hours. . Disorderly.' Conduct—William. James Harndge was: charged with being drank and oiaorderly on the railway station, and with wilfully breaking a pane, of glass valued at 10si 6d; the property of the New Zealand •Railway. Mr Hanlon appeared for the defendant, who pleaded guilty to the first Ofience,; but denied wilfully breaking the pane of glass,—The Sub-inspector said that it the defendant agreed to make good the damage don© he would withdraw the second charge.—Mr, Hanlon said that the window was broken during a squabble, but accused was willing to pay for the window.—The bub-inspector stated that the young man entered a late Irain for Ravensbourne last night. He was drunk and disorderly, and the train had to be stopped in-order to get ™ on* of t-ue carriage,—Mr Hanlon said that accused was only nineteen years of age, and was very sorry for what had occurred.—His Worship "inflicted a fine of 80s or seven days on the first charge, and the second case was withdrawn. Breaches of By-kws.—Henry and Donald Cameron, who did not appear, were charged with having driven cattle on the Main road, North-east Valley, at an hour other than between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m., and without having an attendant preceding and another driving such cattle. Each defendant was fined 20s and costs.—Sew Hip pleaded guilty to a charge of furious driving on the Main, road, South Dunedin. It was subsequently explained through an interpreter that defendant's horse had shied at an electric car, and that defendant had whipped it by way of showing it the advisability of avoiding further shying. A fine of 10s, with 7s costs, was inflicted.- —William Ansefl was fined 5s and costs for riding, his bicycle without a light. Maintenance.—Eleanor Alinquist was charged with disobeying an order for the maintenance of her children.,, The defendant said that it was not her place to pay for the support of the children. The Subinspector said that the defendant's husband had deserted her. She was in service, earning 12s a week. The case was adjourned for a" fortnight to give tho woman an opportunity of paying off the arrears.—Alexander Todd Robertson was also charged with disobeying a maintenance order. Defendant having paid £1 into court, the case was adjourned for a fortnight.—John Dix was charged with failing to provide for the support' of Ids illegitimate child. An' order was made for the payment of 3s a week, starting on the 17th inst Indecent Language. —John Cox was charged with having used indecent lan* guage on the Main road, South Dunedin. Mr Hanlon appeared for accused, who pleaded, guilty, and decided to be dealt with summarily.—-Mr Hanlon explained that this was the first time accused had been brought up on any charge of thia sort. He was a hard-working young man, but he sometimes gave way to drink. He was willing to make application for a prohibition order against himself. Accused ;Was convicted and discharged, and a prohibition order was made accordingly.—Percy Childs, for whom Mr D. D. Macdonald appeared, pleaded guilty to a charge of having used obscene language in a public'place. Counsel explained that on the day of the offence accused got married and had too much liquor. This led to an altercation, and the altercation provoked the language. Accused was fined 20s, with 15s costs. ■

Breaches of Prohibition Orders. —John degg, a prohibited person, pleaded' guilty to a charge of having procured liquor at ihe Douglas Hotel, and with having entered that hotel during the currency of such order. Accused was fined 20s and costs, with the option of seven days' imprisonment.—Matthew Carroll was brought up on a kindred charge. Mr D. D. Macdonald, who appeared for accused, said his client's statement was that he was persuaded to go into the hotel with some companions, and that he sat down with them, but had. no drink, and ordered none. It was admitted that accused had denied his identity when>arrested. He was fined' 20s, with a seven days' option.—James Mathewson, another prohibited person, did not appear to answer a similar charge, and was fined 503 and costs, with the option of fourteen days' imprisonment. Charge of Theft. Ernest Burgess was charged with having, on the 2nd inst., stolen one metal watch, one lady's silver watch, and two watch chains, the total value being £5 15s, from the person of John Thomas Forbes. Mr Banlon appeared for accused.—Sub-inspector Green said that the facts were that accused, informant, and others were travelling as passengers on the late north express from Christchurch on the night in question. The informant was not strictly sober. Somewhere between Waikouaiti and Dunedin a dispute arose, and accused went to informant while he was speaking to someone else and took the articles out of bis pocket. Information was sent to the police from Waitati, and accused was arrested at the Upper Junction in another carriage. The articles alleged to have been stolen wore not found on him, but there would bt the direct evidence of two other independent persons that thev saw the theft committed. —John Thomas "Iforbes deposed that he had been having a " joiliiication" on the train, and that he did not recollect much about the trip. Ho remembered leaving Oamaru. He also had a recollection of someone taking hie coat off to him in the train as the result of a conversation about Scotland, and he clearly remembered missing his watches (he had two in his pockets) when he tried to find out the time. He believed ho had seen accused in the train, but had no idea who took the watches. Under cross-ex-amination witness denied that he had been intoxicated on, the train, and stated that he was very forgetful. When htt got to Oamaru he was sober enongh to knot/" what he was doing. .He could not snerJs. with any certainty as to what happened after he left Oamaru. Could not say whether he had his watches at Oamaru. He had them at 6.20 p.m. Could not remember taking his coat off and putting a fellow-passenger's head through the window, nor wishing to fight others because they would not let him join them at cards. Couid not swear that be bad not had his waistcoat off as well as his coat.—Frederick Geary said that he saw accused take a watch and chain and put it in his" pocket, saying that it would be safer there until the row was over. Accused then left the carriage.—The case was proceeding when we went to press.