DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 January 1928, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

(Per Press Association.) A STIFF SENTENCE. HAMILTON, January 13. Twelve months’ imprisonment was the sentence imposed on a young man named Joseph Ellworthy Owen, at Hamilton, to-day, for the theft of three bottles of soft drinks, valued at Is 6d, and 2s worth of meat. Accused’s record was not a good one. The police stated that recently he had been living by robbing meat safes and sleeping on the river bank. BIGAMY ADMITTED. HAMILTON, January 12. Francis William Sweetman pleaded guliyt this morning in the Magistrate’s Court to a charge of bigamy, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. It is alleged that he deserted his wife and three children at Waikato Heads and “married” a girl at Hastings. ATTACKED BY BULL. WHANGAREI, January 12. Last evening Mrs. C. H. Allan, of Towai, was driving cows into a yard when a Jersey bull turned on her, inflicting severe injuries in the abdomen and lower thigh. A youth, William Murray, who was passing, drove the animal oft Mrs. Allan suffered great loss of blood. She was taken to the Kawakawa Hospital, and it was reported this morning that her condition is satisfactory. HOUSE ON FIRE. TAURANGA, January 12. Shortly after two o’clock this afternoon a seven-roomed dwelling and contents owned and occupied by W. Nichols was totally destroyed by fire. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols were in the store adjacent at the time and the fire had a firm hold when it was discovered, the only article saved being a sewing machine. The house was an old landmark, standing practicaly on the site of the historic Gate Pa battle. MOTORING POLICE TRAPS. WELLINGTON, January 13. Allegations by the police that one named Valentine had been warning motorists that they were running into a police trap, resulted in Valentine being charged at the Court to-day, with attempting to obstruct a constable in the execution of his duty. Mr. Putnam, for Valentine, said that the Court was being asked to say that if a man was about to commit a crime, an attempt to stop him, was an offence against the Police. Magistrate Page replied that that was not the case the Police were setting up. They were setting up that the car was in fact committing a breach of the by-laws, and while the officers were endeavouring- to obtain material to prosecute for that breach, Valentine endeavoured to stop the man. He refused to dismiss the case as trivial, but said that if Mr. Putnam wished to look into the legal authorities, he would give him time. The case was adjourned till Tuesday.