THE COURTS—TO-DAY

Evening Star, Issue 17313, 29 March 1920, Page 6

THE COURTS—TO-DAY

CITY POLICE COURT. (Bafore J. E. Bartholomew, Esq., S.M.I Drunkenness. —A first offender was fined 20s, in default 48 hours' imprisonment. Ei-nest George Bollard (two charges) was fined 10s or 48 hours on one and 20s or three days on the other. Given a Chance.-—Robert Burgess was charged with being an incorrigible rogue. Mr N-eill defended. Detective-Sergeant Cameron pave evidence- as to seeing accused in the company of Teputed thieves on three different'daies. On one occasion he was in the act of decoying two young girls. On the Ist of March last witness told accused he had better find work and keep better company. Witness produced a list of previous convictions against accused, including one of being a rogue and vagabond at Wellington in 1915. —Evidence was also given by Detectives Kelly, Lear, Beer, and Constable Brown.—Mr Neill said that the man's misfortune seemed to be his "record." He was discharged from the Templeton Caol about . 10 weeks ago, and came to Dunedin to stay with his mother until such time as his crratuity would be available. He had suffered from the loss of the fingers of one hand, and on. account of that he had great difficulty in getting away with one of the reinforcements. Two of tho men. mentioned by the detectives fought in the trenches with him.—Evidence was given by accused and his mother.—His Worship said that accused must be convicted. He, however, would give him a- chance to get out of town and go to work. Ho would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within 12 months. Stone Quarries Act.—Samuel Pa-trick Sine! was charged with stowing in azino adjacent to his 'quarry a quantity of dynamite without the approval of the inspector under the Stone Quarries Act. Mr J. B. Callan appeared for the dofendant, who pleaded guilty.—The Chief Detective said that in 1917 the Calder Quarry -Syndicate, of which defendant was manager, purchased the Calder quarry. During tho time he had the property Mr Colder had a permit to store 200 ib of dynamite in an approved magazine. The syndicate never applied for a permit, and it was found that they had 9501b stored in the magazine. They were now appiving for a license to store up ; to I,ooolb.—Mr Callan said that whereas SO per cent, was explosive before the war, the percentage now was only 40 per cent., so that to do a" certain amount of work one must now have twice tho quantity. The syndicate i^w«i applied fnr Permission to store I,ooolb.—His Worship said that the nidations must be strictly complied, with. The defendant would ba fined £5 and costs (7s). Theft of a Motor Cycle.—.Victor Rovden Curhne, a youth of about 17, was charged with, on March 25, unlawfully taking a motor cycle, valued at £135, the property of Stuart Cameron, and also with damaging the machine to the extent of one guinea. Accused, for whom Mr B.- S. Irwin appeared, pleaded not guilty to both charges.—Stuart Cameron, clerk, sa'd that on the night of March 26 he rode , from the University to the Savoy Tea Rooms. _ On leaving the tea rooms he found his machine had been taken. Previously he had removed a plug from the connection, so that anyone who took it could -not go far. Witness reported the matter tothe police. When he recovered the machine it was damaged, and cost a guinea to be repaired.—Robert Fyfe said ho accompanied complainant to the Sa-vov, j and _ when they came out the cycle was | missing. Later on witness attempted to I stop a motor cyclist in Filleul street to | ask about the missing cycle, but when '; tho rider saw him he turned in the opposite direction. Witness gave chase and j got tho accused, who was riding the stolen j machine. Ho then handed the motor | cycle and accused over to the police.—Mr ; Irwin said tho lad had said the cycle was ; given to him by someone for a ride, but j in view of the evidence of Mr Fyre, this ! could hardly be believed.—Accused was convicted on both charges, and on the ; first was fined £-5 and witness's expenses : (12s), with the alternative of one month's j imprisonment, and on the second was ; ordered to pay the amount of damage, in ; default seven days' imprisonment. "" The , Magistrate said accused was already under the control of the probation officer, and, if necessary, that control could be j tightened. By-law Cases.—Claude Theodore Lee. i ! char-red with leaving a motor car in Bond : street without* lights, was fined 10? and ! : costs (7s). William Montgomery Harris i [ was charged with driving a motor car j ; without sufficient lights, with using an ' ; unregistered- car, and also with driving ! j without a certificate of competency.—;Mr i j J. S. Sinclair appeared for the defendant, j I who pleaded guilty.—The defendant was j 1 fined 10s and costs (7sl on the first charge, | 10s and costs (7s) on the second, and 20s i j and costs (7s) on the third. j j Breach of Order.—William Osta.rach, a j i prohibited person, charged with entering j | licensed premises, was fired 10s and costs ! ] (7s), or three days' imprisonment. i Maintenance.—Amelia Mary Cruse was j charged with failing to comply with the terms of a maintenance order, the arrears to date being £SB 15s.—Mr B. S. Irwin appeared for defendant.—After hearing | evidence, the Magistrate reduced the J j amount of the order from 7s 6d to 5s a week, and remitted the arrears on the condition that defendant kept up her payments regularly. Selling Unlabelled Butter. Messrs Fraser and Muntz were charged with on December 9, at- South Dunedin, having in their possession for sale three lib pats of butter and failing to have legibly and durably marked on such package a statement or label containing particulars required and the name of the manufacturers of the article, and were also charged with having in their possession seven pats of butter ,and with failing to have legihlv and durably marked a statement containing required particulars and the name and address of the manufacturer.—Mr Duncan appeared on behalf of defendants, who pleaded not guilty to the first charge and guilty to the second.—Evidence was given by Inspectors Craighead and Armour as to visiting the shop of defendants and finding the butter not properly labelled. The Magistrate said he must 'accent the evidence of tho two inspectors. Chi the charge defendants were fined 40s. with costs (7c). and on the second' charge were fined 2°s, with costs (7s). Food and Drugs Act.—Thomas Mason was charged that on December 16 he sold milk containing less than 8.5 of milk solid other than milk fat and 3.25 of milk fat contrary to regulations under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act.—Defendant pleaded not guilty.—lnspector Craighead gave evidence, which was corroborated by Insnector Armour, as to visiting the shop of defendant and buying a pint of milk. A sample was sent to the Government analyist. and was found not to be up to standard.—Defendant said he ha-d been selling milk for 30 years, and denied having interfered with it in any wav. Tie sometimes bought his milk'from the Taieri and Peninsula Comoany, and latterly had bought it from Alexander.—The Manistrate said that, defendant was entirely responsible for the quality of the milk he sold, and was liable for any deficiency, of milk fat. The pleasing feature of the case was that the analysis showed that no water had been added." Defendant would be fined £5