THE COURTS-TO-DAY.

Evening Star, Issue 16628, 10 January 1918, Page 1

THE COURTS-TO-DAY.

CITY POLICE COURT. (Before H. A. Young, Esq.. S.M.y Drunkenness.—A first offender was con* victed and ordered to pay 2s cab hire. Alleged Assault and Robbery.—Donald Henry Campbell and John Healey were charged wii*-- assaulting and robbing Hubert /Prih.'- j vVilson M ~4lnir single boo pound notes and a cheque for £2O Bs.—On the application of Detective-sergeant Kemp the accused were remanded until tomorrow. Youths Play Two-up.—Arthur Dominic Phmket, Francis Alexander Hare, William Joseph Roberts, Arthur M’Dermid Roberts, and Dominic M'Loughlan, all youths, were charged with playing two-up on the Town Belt at Momington on Sunday last. Mr Irwin defended.—Constable Macartney said that at 4.15 on Sunday afternoon he saw the defendants on the Town Belt. All of them, with tho exception of M'Loughlan, were playing two-up. Each took a turn at throwing the coins. He watched them for about 20 minutes. A lad who was looking on was chased by his parents. The players then stopped. Witness told the boys that he wanted to see them. Hare, and the brothers Roberts made statements admitting playing. -M'Loughlan did not make a statement, saying that he did not wish to “put on his mates’ pots.” The game was played in full view of the tram terminus at Momington.—Mr Irwin : Were the statements obtained with the object of getting evidence against the defendants? —Witness; ''Not necessarily;' 1 had plenty of evidence without the statements.” His object was to get at the ringleader. Witness concealed himself behind some trees. He found no instruments of gaming.—William Douglas Robsdn, a lad, said he was going across tho Belt, when he saw all the defendants except M'Loughlan playing a game with pennies. They tossed the pennies with a stick. M'Loughlan was lying on the bank.—Mr Irwin said that 'in face of the evidence of the last witness he did not propose to ask the police to carry the case any further. The action of the police in obtaining written statements might be open to criticism, but that had nothing to do with the actual commission of the offence. He had no evidence to call. Four of the boys had good characters; Hare liad an exceptionally good one. bub-inspector Mathieson said that I'lunket was the ringleader. He was polluting the lads of the Momington district. Steps had been taken by Mr Gumming and Father Coffey to try and get this lad profitable employment, but so far nothing had been done in the matter. The Court now had the opportunity of sending him to the industrial school. lie would be 19 years of age to-morrow, 'the other lads were all in employment-- it was on account of a complaint to' the police that a watch was kept. Tho playing had been gping on for some months.—ln answer to His Worship the other four lads said they were prepared to attend the Technical College at night. His Worship said that the boys had got into mischief by having too puu;h time on their hands'. They had been _ wandering about at nights and spending their Sundays playing two-up. .Each, one should- attend the Technical College. Tho four of them would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when , called on. In the meantime they were to be of good behaviour, and Mr Gumming would direct them as to what* to do at the Technical College. Plunket (a yoilth) be sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment without hard labor and a telegram would bo sent at once to Vv ellington recommending the authorities to transfer him to a reformatory institu- 1 tion.