POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 18050, 18 August 1922, Page 5

POLICE COURT

Friday, August 18. (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) > * • x SLEEPING OUT. Ernest Arthur Hogue pleaded not guilty to a charge of being an idle and dis- • orderly person in that he had insufficient lawful means of support. Detective Beer said that early this morning. ho found defendant sleeping under some bags near the Cement Works. There was no money on him, and he was in a dirty condition. Acting-detective Roycroft gave corroborative evidence. Accused, he said, had been loitering about town, and appeared to do no work. Accused said he came from Invercargill some months ago, and had been working off and on all the time. Asked why ho slept out last night, he said he was in North Dunedin, and found ho was too late to catch a car. Ohief-detective Bishop said defendant did work sometimes, but ho was a drunken waster. His father and mother were respectable people, and could do with some assistance from him. Sub-inspector Ecdes said ho knew accused, whose trouble was drink. His p*mle were highly respectable. Elis Worship convicted accused and I ordered him to come up for sentence on August 25. If accused got out of town, however, and went to work he would not be called upon. THEFT OF TAPS. A hoy just over seventeen years was charged with the theft of two brass watertaps, valued at 4s and 5s respectively, the property of A. Morrison and Co. An older boy was charged with receiving the taps, knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained. Both pleaded guilty. Chief-detective Bishop said that the younger lad worked in a plumber’s shop in town, and took the opportunity of stealing the two taps, and soldi them to the other accused. ■ Prior to this there was nothing known against either of them. The taps had been recovered. The Magistrate said that, having regard for their youth, ho would prohibit the publication of their names. Each would be convicted and fined £2, in default seven days’ imprisonment. COMMITTED TO SALVATION ARMY HOME. Jeannia Turpin, who was remanded last week to enable Ensign jPoombs to report, was charged with being a woman of illfame. The Magistrate said that Ensign Coombs bad reported that in accused’s own interests she should receive reformative treatment. He accordingly committed her to the Salvation Army Home at Caversham for a period of twelve months. j A YEAR’S REFORMATIVE TREATMENT. ' I Robert Thomas Roberts came up for sentence on charges that by falsely representing that ho was a farmer at Gor© he obtained £1 from Crosby MorrG. an - ! ♦hat by falsely representing that he was a fanner at Outram ho obtained £1 irom John Ham- Waigth. The Probation Officer (Mr F. G. Gumming) pointed out that accused had been released from prison on probation, but had failed to report himself. His Worship said accused was deserving of no consideration, and would be sentenced to one year’s reformative treat-, ment. ' HOTEL THEFT. ! David. Alexander Walsh pleaded guilty to the theft of a suit of clothes, an overcoat, a pair of gloves, a pair of boots, and a cap, of a total value of £l9 19s 6d, the property of John Joseph Hinchcliff. The Chief-detective said that accused waa in an hotel, and was given a room ; when he .paid ho was not feeling well. While there he went through other rooms and stole the articles mentioned. Drink was his trouble. He was a returned sol- j dier and had been gassed, but the Defence j authorities could do nothing with him. i The case .was adjourned- till August 25, to enable Mr Gumming to make a report. FURTHER CHARGES PENDING. A young man, who had been on remand, waa brought up on three charges of steal- ! ing sums of money from the shop where he was employed. Accused pleaded guilty to all charges The Chief Detective said that there were three further charges pending, and asked for a remand, which was granted, bail being allowed as before, on condition . that he report daily to the probation officer. Publication of the name was prohibited. MAINTENANCE. His Warship remitted the arrears in the case of an order against John Henry Gallon for the support of his wife, the police stating that defendant himself was practically in destitute circumstances. Robert, Rutherford Douglas was charged with failing to comply with the terms of j an order for the support of his wife, the i arrears amounting to £3O 17s 6d.—There was also an application by defendant to have the arrears cancelled on the ground that since the order was fnade his wife and he had cohabited.—Defendant stated in evidence that it was because of a certain religious sect that anything had come between his wife and him. He denied that he had ill-treated his wife or called her vile names. Defendant was proceeding to describe what he had had to I undergo as the result. of his wife’s | “fanaticism” when His Worship interjected that if there Bail 1 been cohabitation the order must be cancelled.—-Mr Brasch, who appeared for the wife, admitted that the parties had lived together, but said that as far as the wife was concerned dt was .under “moral compulsion.”—His Worship said he had no discretion in the matter. The application for cancellation ,of the order would bo granted, and the charge of disobedience of the order would be dismissed. Percy Johnston was proceeded against by his wife, Alice Johnston, for a maintenance order in respect to herself and child, on the ground of failure to. maintain. Mr C. J. L. White appeared for the applicant.—The magistrate made an order for 30s per week, with £5 past maintenance. ' _ BY-LAWS BROKEN. George Weldon Clark, for not keeping as near the left side as possible while riding a motor cycle, was fined 20s. with costs (7s), and for riding an unregistered bicycle waa further fined 10s, with costs (7s). —George Mawhinney, for riding a bicycle without a light, was fined 3s, with costs (7s), and George Crawford Kerso was fined 40s, with costs (7s), for failing : to keep to'the left side of the road while j turning a comer.—George Bayne, for I allowing a horse to wander, was fined i 00s, with casts (7s). ARMS ACT. Frank Sevan pleaded guilty to delivering a firearm without a permit, and John Charles Patterson admitted being in possession of an unregistered firearm.—The former was convicted and ordered to pay costs (7s), and the latter was convicted. DRUNKENNESS. Two first offenders, who did not appear to answer changes of drunkenness, were each fined 20s, with the usual alternative. , FURTHER REMANDED. Albert Norton, alias John Rees, who was on remand from Christchurch, was charged with stealing one metal watch and chain and one silver, medal, valued at 30s, the property of John Thomas Ayers. Mr C. J. L. White appeared for the accused, and' asked for a remand till August 25, which was granted, bail being allowed self in £SO, one surety of £SO, or two of £25 each. Later, when a well-dressed woman came forward to offer surety-for bail, Chiefdetective Bishop said ho would- object, She said she was a widow with a grown-up family, but she denied that* she was traveling around the country wth accused. His Worship declined to accept her surety. ~ ' SERIOUS CHARGE. Arthur Ernest Ede was charged with indecently assaulting a girl of, fourteenyears of "age at Kaikorai on August 14. Evidence was given by the complainant and by her sister (a year younger), by a

boy aged thirteen, and by the mother of the girls,. < Acting-detective Sneddon said accused denied having spoken to the girl on the date of tho alleged offence. Accused pleaded not guilty, and was committed to the Supremo Court for trial. His Worship - refused bail. ALLEGED FALSE PRETENCES. Alfred Joseph Vance Ryan was charged , with obtaining £3 from Matthew Richards , by means of a valueless cheque. _ Further charges were made against ac- , cased, as follow:—Obtaining on July 4 - £7 10s by means of a valueless cheque , from Edward Whittle; on July 6, at k Hawera, by the same means obtaining £2O from William Jury; and on July 13, . at Palmerston North, £6 in cash and a [ lady's gold watch, valued at £l7, from [. Charles Percy Nash. Accused elected to ho tried- by jury, and ■■ the court proceeded to take evidence, i Edmund 0... Taylor, sub-accountant at | the National Bank, Dunedin, said accused t camo to him on July 21, and asked for a i cheque form. The cheque produced was tho one which witness -gave hiin. Accused t represented himself as Mr O’Leary, of. l a firm of seed merchants of Auckland. . The Auckland branch of the bank was i communicated with, but replied that there was no account there. . Detective Palmer produced a cue quo i signed J. O’Leary. Accused admitted to him that he had never had an account at Auckland in that name. t Matthew Henry Richards* licensee of the Green Island Hotel, said acc-used_ gave , him a cheque for £2O, and asked him to advance some money on it. Accused said the cheque was all right, and ho advanced him £3 on it, intending to giie 1 tho balance should the cheque be honored. ' Later witness found that accused had no 1 banking account. Accused pleaded not guilty, and was committed for trial on the Green Island charge j being also remanded to appear at Palmerston North on August 25 to answer the other charges.