BALCLUTHA NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 19924, 21 July 1928, Page 2

BALCLUTHA NOTES

[Fjsom Ode Correspondent.] A young man named Harold Mitchell', son of Mr J. V/. Mitchell, picture theatre proprietor, Balclutha, met with a serious accident on Thursday as a result of a collision with a motor car driven by M. A. Leonard. He was cycling, across a street intersection, when his cycle skidded in the loose gravel, causing him to fall, and the driver of the car was unable to pull up in time to avoid running into him. The young man sustained injuries to his shoulder and right leg, and was taken to the Balclutha Hospital. There was a regular field day rt the Owaka Court on Thursday when Mr H. J. Dixon, S.M., made his bimonthly visit. One case of interest was a neighbours’ quarrel at Fuketno in consequence of which W. R. Ross, farmer, postmaster, and secretary of the School Committee claimed from H. C Fletchers, railway ganger, the sum of £25 for alleged defamation of character by wrongfully referring to plaintiff as an undischarged bankrupt. Mr W. D. Taylor, Dunedin, appeared for plaintiff and Mr H. C. Alloo for defendant. Defendant denied having made such a statement to anyone and contended that the case had been brought against him to counteract a claim against plaintiff’s principal witness for alleged assault. The Magistrate non-suited plaintiff with costs. For shooting ducks on the Pucrua Stream on May 15 without a license, Peter Mason was fined £5 with court costs 16s and 15s witnesses’ expenses. Judgment was given by default in the following cases:—A. Turnbull v. Denis Tuffley, claim £4 Is (costs £1 5s 6d); D R. Wright v. A. Bagiev, £l6 8s 7cl (costs £3). Orders were made in the following judgment summons cases;—D. Reid and Co., Ltd. v. Matthew T. Eser. £7 8s 3d, in default nine days’ imprisonment; J. M'Culloch v. A. 0. Wells (Orfepuki), £3l 13s 9d, order for £2 a month, in default twenty-one days’ imprisonment. Joseph Harrison, for exposing liceaffeoted sheep for sale at Owaka, was convicted, and fined ss_, with costs (12s). For being in possession of an unregistered firearm Sidney M'Millan (Tahakopa) was convicted, and fined 20s and costs (10s). For failing to clear gorse off his property at Romahapa James Stanaway was convicted, and fined 40s. with costs (12s). John Meek, on two charges—(l) of taking and killing opossums out of season, and (2) of being illegally in possession of opossum skins—was fined £ls, with costs (IDs), the skins to be forfeited. His Worship said this was defendant’s third offence, and he was satisfied that he was a systematic poacher. J. P. Harrison Muclcnnan, For taking and killing opossums without right in Ross Creek Bush. Dunedin, was fined £3, with costs (20s). G. M. Outsell, being illegally in possession of ojpossum skins, pleaded guilty, saying he had caught them destroying his orchard. Ho wms fined 30s, with costs (10s). Charged with killing and taking opossums out of season Donald Stuart pleaded ignorance of the law, but was convicted and fined £3, with costs (£2 85).