MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1843, 19 January 1880, Page 3

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Monday, Januaby 19. [Before G. L. Lee, Esq., and E. Hobbs, Esq- : J.P.'s.] Dbunk and Disobdebly.—A first offendei was fined 5j : an old female habitue of the Court, was fined 20j. Injuby to Pbopbbty.—Charles Magon, Hammond Magon, William Bennett, Alfred Bennett, John Bennett, Hans Sandelborn were charged with malicious injury to property by throwing down certain gateß. There were fire cases. Mr Thomaß appeared for the Bennetts and Hammond Magon. The first charge waß for throwing down a gate at Halswell, the property of Jennings Moffatt, on the 24th December. Mr Inspector Hickson asked for an adjournment of the case in the absence of two of the principal offenders not arrested, and the chief witness who he believed was keeping out of the way to avoid giving evidence. Mr Thomas objected to any adjournment, and Baid he was prepared to put each of his clients in the witness box, who would swear that they were entirely innocent of the offence they were charged with. They wcro travelling on the road, and had nothing whatever to do with breaking down the gate of Mr Moffatt, which had been done by another body of men altogether. Tho Bench held that, as the information had been laid by the police, who, doubtless, had good grounds for asking for an adjournment, they had no option but to grant it. Mr Thomas submitted that as his clients were innocent the course the Bench were adopting was really punishing them more than if they were to plead guilty and submit themselves to a fine and so have the case disposed of at once, especially aa it was harvest time, and the defendants could earn £1 a day. The Bench adhered to their decision, and the cases were adjourned until February 2nd. Miscellaneous.—Wm. Penfold, Charles Hudson, and Henry Tucker, were charged with breaches of the Hackney Carriage Bylaws by not being in attendance on their cabs. The two first were fined 10s each, and in the third the information was dismissed on a technical point. J. Maxwell was summoned for driving and taking sole chargo of two vehicles, tho first drawn by three horses and the second by two, in a public thoroughfare, to wit, the Gas Works road, Sydenham. The defendant admitted the offence and was fined 10a. Thbeatening a Wipe.—Wm. McMillan was charged with threatening the life of his wife, Mary Jane McMillan. Mr Joyce appeared for the defendant. Erom the evidence of the complainant and her son it appeared that the defendant, who had not lived with his wife for the last month, came to the house about two o'clock last Sunday morning armed with a stick and a knife and threatened the life of the complainant. The son put him out, but he got in again at a later hour by the window and repeated his violent conduct. He said he would rip his wife if she did not turn out a man that he alleged was in her bedroom. Sergeant Barlow stated that he ■ arrested the defendant the previous day in the house of the complainant. He appeared to be in an excited state, as from the effects of drink. Mr Joyce addressed the Bench on behalf of the defendant, and Baid that the whole cause of his appearance in court was his wretched home, the neglected ■ state of his children, and the misconduct of the complainant and her son. The defendant was of an excitable disposition, which had been worked on by his wife, while the evidence of the son was utterly unworthy of regard. The defendant contradicted on oath the statement that he had even uaed a knife, and - swore that he heard a man in the complainant's bedroom. On the defendant undertaking not to go near the complainant again, the Benoh adjourned tho case for a week, to be subsequently dismissed if the defendant kept his word, but if not he would then be bound over to keep the peace. Rescuing Cattle. Samuel Dick was charged with rescuing four head of cattle from Benjamin Berry, poundkeeper, at Heathcote, on the 10th inst. Mr Bamford appeared for the defendant. The complainant stated the particulars of the seizure of the -cattle, who were feeding between tho defendant's house and the Eerry road, and the action of the defendant, who would not permit him to drive them away. After hearing the evidence of the defendant and his wife and daughter, the Bench considered there was probability of the complainant having made a mistake, and giving the defendant the benefit of the doubt, dismissed the information. Assault. —James Bell and Mary Bell were charged with assaulting and using abusive language towards Charles White. Mr McConnell appeared for the defendants. In the absence of the defendants the case was adjourned to compel their attendance. Abusive and Insulting Language.— ;Eliza Ohing George was charged with making use of abusive and insulting language to Joseph Exall, calculated to provoke a breach of the peace. The defendant who conducted herself in a very violent and extraordinary manner, keeping the Court in a state of up- • roar, denied making use of the language imputed to her. She called a female witness who had been in the service of the complainant, to whom she put a series of leading i question with the object of showing that he had been in the habit of intruding himself on her premises and provoking the language he complained of. The defendant's husband, a Chinese, was sworn, but his evidence was not material to the case. The complainant said he did not wish to press for any penalty—all he desired was protection for his wife and himself against the foul tongue o£ the defendant. The Bench dismissed the case, ordering tho defendant to pay the coßts, and cautioning her to abstain from annoying the defendant and his family for the future.