THE COURTS-TO-DAY

Evening Star, Issue 16998, 21 March 1919, Page 6

THE COURTS-TO-DAY

CITY POLICE COURT,

(Before J. R. Bartholomew, Esq., S.M.) Alleged Fake Pretences. Joseph French -1 was charged with between the Ist of August, 1918, and the 23rd of January last, obtaining the sum of £146 8s 6cl from Mary Carr by means of a false pretence.—Mr Irwin appeared for accused.—Chief Detective Bishop asked for a remand until Wednesday next. In answer to His Worship the Chief Detective said- that accused was a married man living in Dunedin. He represented himself as a single man to the woman—a widow with children—and obtained the money from her by that moans. He promised to marry her.—Accused was remanded accordingly, bail being allowed, himself in £2OO and two sureties of 5100 each.

Negligent Driving.—Christopher Reekie (Mr Hanlon) pleaded guilty to negligently driving a horse and cart at Portobello. — Senior-Sergeant Murray eaid that defendant drove into a stationary molar car, which was damaged. Mr Hanlon said that defendant had made good tho damage.—Fined 40s and costs (7s). * Prohibited.—Jonas Hardy, a prohibited person, was charged on threo informations with procuring liquor.—He was fined 10s and co3ts (7s) on each charge, in default three days' imprisonment. By-law Case.—James Jardino, charged with driving a motor car without a light, was ordered to pay witness's expenses (ss). Working on Sunday.—Chang You, Lee Chan, Ah Chirug, Young Lung, Chew Sun, Young Sheo Fou, Charlie Lee, Young Chew, Young Quee, Lee Son, and Dun Chun were charged with on Sunday, the 9th hist, working at their trade or calling, to wit, gardening.—They pleaded guilty, one remarking amidst ■ laughter that he just worked a while to pass the time away.—The Senior-Sergeant said that the defendants had been previously warned against working at their calling on Sunday. Complaints had been received from people going to church. —His Worship : " Who are tho people who make tho complaints?"— The .Senior-Sergeant: "Residents."—His Worship: "Quite a number of residents round about work in their own gardens." He never felt altogether happy in dealing with charges of this nature against Chinamen. It was impossible to get them to appreciate the position that the offence consisted, of working at their ordinary occupation on Sunday. That was, if they changed their occupation on Sunday it would be no offence. He supposed that they could not understand that while it was not lawful for them to work in their gardens Europeans could do so. While* the law stocd as it did ho must enforce it.— Young Quee (who had been previously convicted) was fined 2tte and costs (7sf, and the others 5s each and costs (7s). A Trivial Charge.—Samuel Powell and John Frederick Rosonbrook were charged with at Portobello stealing two sheets of roofing iron, valued at 12?, the property of Arthur Graham Lewis.—Mr Hanlon appeared for'the defendants.—The SeniorSergeant said that tho iron was taken from a crib which had been unoccupied for a considerable time. TV lads removed the iron from the roof, afterwards returning it.—Mr Hanlon said that the youths admitted taking the. iron. Tho place was not a crib, "but an old dilapidated building which had not been occupied for mariv years. It was in a shocking state of disrepair. The lads told tho complainant that thoy had taken tho iron and that if it was any good they would put it back, which they did. The complainant wanted to withdraw the proceedings. Counsel suggesed that His AVorsliip should exercise his discretion and not record a conviction. There was no criminal intent.—His Worship said that anyone might look upon the place as an old abandoned building. Ho would hesitate to stigmatise it as a criminal action against young men of good character in removing material in that way. He would not record a conviction. The defendants would be discharged. Two Charges.—John WiteheJl was charged with assaulting Thomas Lawless, and also with using obscene language. Mr Irwin defendod.—The complainant, a conductor on the City Corporation tramways, said he asked accused for bis fare, and was told by him to wait until ho got his hand into his pocket. Witness told him he could not wait all day. Accused then used an obscene expression to him, and witness stopped the car. Ho got hold of accused a-nd put him off. Accused struck him on the lip.— Evidence was given bv George Tilbury, Walter Ibbotson, and Plain-clothes Constable Beer.—Mr Irwin said that the complainant's evidence as to the second charge was contradicted by the other witnesses, who did not hear an obscene expression used. Accused had his eye blackened. The conductor accounted for it by saying that ho put up his hand to guard off a blow by accused. Tlie.ro was also no evidence of u. charge of assault, except that of the conductor.—Accused, in his evidence, said that the conductor struck him on the eye before he took hold of him to put liim off.—His Worship said that he could not accept accused's account of what happened. It was absurd to say that the conductor deliberately aimed a blow at him before putting him off. He would treat the whole affair, however, as one episode. The charge of obscene language would bo reduced to one of indecent language, and accused would be fined 20s on that information, with costs (31»). On the charge of assault, which was not cj, a serious nature, he would bo convicted and discharged. Breaking and Entering.—Jas. Williams and William Jas. Duncan, two youths, were charged with breaking and entering the premises of Macdougall and Co. with intent to commit a crime therein.—Plainclothes Constable Lean said that at 8.30 p.m. on tho 16th inst. he received information that glass had been broken in Bath .street, and on proceeding to the back of Macdougall and Co.'s warehouse he found that a window had been broken. 'He discovered the accused under a bench. A bunch of keys was close by them. The accused said they had been chased by some boys. That was riot true. They got over an Bft iron fence and entered the premises through a very small window.—The accused pleaded guilty, and were committed to tho Supreme Court for sentence. Arthur Wheeler Rowe and William Jas. Duncan were charged with, at Taratu, breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Alexander Ramsay and stealing therefrom a watch valued at £1 12s. They wore further charged with, at Taratu, breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Jack Farrington and stealing therefrom a watch valued at 16s. The charges were taken separately.—Ramsay, a coal trucker, said he had no key for his hut. On the day of the robbery he left tho door wide open, and also the window.—Senior-eer-geant Murray said that that being so it would be necessary to alter the charge to one of theft from a dwelling. This was done accordingly.—Witness, continuing, said that the watch was taken from a shelf where ho had placed it behind a packet of candles.—His Worship said that there was j no evidence against Duncan on the first charge. 'He was merely present when Rowe sold the watch to another boy. Duncan would be discharged. Rowe pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.—The Senior Sergeant said that there was no evidence against Rowe on the second charge, and he was discharged.—Farrington, in his evidence, said he locked the door of his hut, but not the window. When he returned he found the place still closed up, but the watch missing.—Duncan (who gave the watch to a young brother) pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supremo Court l for sentence.