POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 22956, 13 May 1938, Page 2

POLICE COURT

FRIDAY, MAY 13. (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.)' HORSE DRIVER FINED. Joseph Woods pleaded guilty to a charge of being drunk in charge of a horse and cart in Moray Place south. Senior-sergeant Claasen said that the accused was arrested, yesterday near the Criterion Hotel. At the time he was collecting garbage with his horse and cart, and was found to be so drunk that he could not lift the garbage on to his cart. “ The horse is a harmless old thing, and has more sense than he has,” said the Senior Sergeant, in respect of the accused. Mr Claasen added that Woods was before the court two years ago and also in 1933 on similar charges. . ■ The accused was fined 40s,' in default 48 hours’ CHARGES DISMISSED.

“ I am quite unable to look at the matter from a serious point of view under the Act —it is agreed that it was a stupid practical joke,said the Magistrate, in respect of William Francis Titchener, who pleaded guilty to making a'false statement while using the and to sending a telegram purporting to be sent by another person. Chief-detective Young said that the complainant Cardno was a crane driver employed by the Otago Harbour Board and resided at Caversham. Complainant received a telephone message-pur-porting to come from the pier mas ter, stating that? he was wanted at 3 a.m. to operate the crane for the s.s. Karetu. He went, and found the telephone message was a hoax. Later, after leaving for a holiday, he received a telegram which read,; “ Sorry missed you last evening; will pay you overtime on your return.” It was signed “ Pier master.” The complainant and defendant had been friends for 20 years, and defendant had sent the messages as a practical joke. Mr I. B. Stevenson, who appeared for the defendant, explained that his client and complainant had been together with another friend on the first night in question. It was after Cardno left that the scheme suggested itself, and it was not until the defendant reached the telephone that he thought of saying the piermaster was speaking. Defendant and his friend proceeded to the wharf but missed Cardno. The telegram was sent for the sole purpose of keeping Cardno guessing as to the perpetrator of the hoax. Unfortunately, Cardno mistakenly believed another party was responsible and reported the matter to the police. The Magistrate dismissed the charges, subject to payment of court costs (10s). MAINTENANCE CASE.

James Leslie Rapson appeared on remand on a charge of failure to maintain his wife, and was also proceeded against on a warrant for maintenance. The complainant was represented by Mr W. M'Alevey. , The Magistrate made an order for maintenance at 35s a week, past maintenance being fixed at £lO, the payment for past maintenance being suspended until further order of the court. For failure to maintain the defendant was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence any time within 12 months.

WANDERING CATTLE. Joseph Moss was fined 6s and costs for allowing cattle to wander. MOTORISTS CHARGED. Ah Young Chong was fined 5s and costs for being an unlicensed motor driver, and on a charge of driving a motor truck without warrant of fitness was fined 10s and costs. A fine of £2 10s and costs was imposed on _ Charles Harold Skuse for driving without due care and attention. Robert Finlayson Smith, who did not possess a warrant of fitness for his car, was fined 10b and costs For operating a lorry without a heavy traffic license, the New Zealand Express Company was fined 20s and costs. Robert Adams, who drove the lorry, was fined court costs (10s). DANGEROUS INSTALLATION.

An electrical salesman, Raymond E. Fitzer, admitted a breach of the Electrical Wireman’a Act, in that he made a connection to a washing machine other than in the room in which the machine was installed. —It was stressed that a similar set of circumstances had caused a fatality in the north, and that defendant had been repeatedly warned. ■—He was fined 20s and costs. A CASE DISMISSED. Henry Forrest, of Kai-

tangata, and James Barron Hausen pleaded not guilty to being found by, night on private premises. .Each was represented• by Mr W. H. Carson. Senior-sergeant Claasen said that two Chinese fruiterers in King Edward street were coming, into their yard at 12.30 a.m. on April 25 in their lorry. In the gleam of their headlights they, saw the two men, one (Hansen), who lived nearby, bolting and trying to scale the fence. The yard ran from Glasgow street to King Edward street. The men subsequently explained to the police that they were in the yard for the purpose of urinating. Forrest was questioned by one of the Chinese, who accompanied him to the police station, at South Dunedin. , ... . ; Evidence was given by the Chinese —<■ Ah Kum • and Lowe Kwong—and Sergeant Sughrue and Constable Drake. The Magistrate commented he was not impressed with the explanations'of the accused in some respects,' but in the main their stories concerning their presence in the yard were quite reasonable. The charge against each accused was dismissed subject to both paying costs totalling £2 Bs. UNEMPLOYMENT LEVY BREACHES. The arrears amounting to over £lO having been paid, William Allison Duncan (Mr J, G. Warrington) was ordered to pay court costs (10s) on, the first of two charges of failing to pay unemployment levies.