THE COURTS-TO-DAY

Evening Star, Issue 14163, 13 September 1909, Page 6

THE COURTS-TO-DAY

CITY POLICE COURT

(Before H. Y. Widdowson, Esq., S.M.) Drunkenness.—An old age pensioner, who made his iii'st appearance, was convicted and discharged.—Another Hist offender was fined ss, or twenty-four hours; and a third 10s cr twenty-four hours.

Railway Case.—Thomas Monigan was charged with boarding a, train at Dunedin while in -notion. It was explained that the. driver stopped the train, as the defendant made a jump to get on, and he fell off the platform of the car. Defendant would probably have been killed had the train not !«en pulled up.—Fined 20s and costs (£2 16s).

By-law La.se.—For allowing a horse to wander George K. Morgan was fined 10s and costs (7s).

A Prohibited Person.—John llealey, a prohibited person, was charged with entering the Victoria Hotel.—Mr Hawkins, for the defendant, said that his client wa£ under the impression that the order had expired. He went into the hotel to see somebody ; he had no drink.—Fined 40s and costs (7s).

Indecent Ad.—Ernest Scvniour was charged with this offence.—The Sub-inspec-tor said that this class of offence was causing a good deal of trouble.—His Worship 6aid he would have to consider the question of Taising the tines in these cases Ihe defendant would he fined 40s and costs (7s), in default fourteen <lavs' imprteonment.

A light Over a Girl—William Prentice and Joseph Wheeler were charged with using behaviour in Maclaggan street whereby a breach of the peace was occasioned.— Constable Dunfiford said that he found the two men fighting on Saturday night. Prentice, who had hJ6 coat off. picked it up when he approached, and ran awav. The other man seemed to be acting on the defensive.— Mr Scurr, for Prentice, said that a stranger pushed his client against Wheeler, who turned and struck him on the cheat.— Crc*6-examined by the Subinspector, Prentice admitted that he was now on probation for assaulting a Chinaman. He v.as not one of the hoodlums of South Dunedin.—Wheelej; went into the box, and said that Prentice struck him on the face, and he retaliated. . Witness had taken a young lady home, and Prentice seemed to object to it. He did not to the South Dunedin crowd.—His Worship said it appeared to him from the evidence thit. 80 faj- as Wheeler was concerned, he did not co further than defend himself, but he indulged in a fight, and had therefore committed a breach of the peace, thejugh not a soriotis breach. It seemed. to him that Prentire was at the bottom of the whole trouble. Wheeler would be fined 10s or forty-eight hours, and Prentice 40s and costs (9s), in default fourteen days' imprisonment.