COURT NEWS.

Grey River Argus, 10 January 1928, Page 4

COURT NEWS.

attempted suicide. Charge Against Dobson Resident. A charge of attempting to commit suicide, one which the police indicated might be the prelude to a more serious indictment, was yesterday brought at the Magistrate’s Court, before Air W. Meldrum, S.M., against Francis Joseph Ruane, of Dobson, who appeared in custody. In applying for a remand until Monday next, Detective Mureh said that there was the possibility of a mor? serious charge being brought against the accused. The accused was not represented by counsel. He asked that his name should be suppressed. The Magistrate refused to order the suppression of accused’s name. The remand was granted. The charge is said to have arisen out of a quantity of laudanum having been placed in tea, by which others as well as accused were affected. A Difficult Case. GIEL WHO RAN AWAY FROM HOME. A seventeen-year-old girl belonging to Grey mouth, who on Saturday was, along with a youth < f 21 years, charged at Hokitika with being idle and i disorderly, appeared on remand before Mr W. Meldrum. S.M., at the Greymouth Court yesterday, on the same count, and as being without lawful means of support. She had pleaded guilty. Senior Sergt Roach said that this seemed a case for the Borstal Institution. The girl, who was just under 18 years of age, had been a source of worry to her people for months past. In a period of three months she had cleared out no fewer than eight times. She had picked up with the youth in question, who evidently was not of much account, and continuity left home to go to him. She had gone on New Year’s Day to him at Kumara, where he lived, and they had slept out together in the bush. Last Saturday the pair had been arrested at Hokitika, where the youth had been convicted and ordered to keep clear of her, and to get work, while she had been remanded to Greymouth, where she had since Saturday been in custodv.

The Magistrate asked if the Child Welfare Officer ha<l a report to offer. It was stated the officer was not present. The Magistrate said the case was one for the Children’s Court, and had better he remanded until Saturday, while the Child Welfare Officer could meanwhile make a report. He asked, the girl would she undertake to stay at home until Saturday with her parents. and she said that she would, promising to obey her father’s orders meantime. The father of the girl stated that he had not a great deal of influence over her, but would do his best to keep her at home. A TE KINGA CASE. An elderly man. Neils Mortensen, of Te Kinga. against whom there i 3 a charge of wounding Klaus Robert Nordberg on October Bth at Te Kinga with a shotgun, so as to cause him serious bodily harm, was further re» nianded until February 20th. bail being renewed in self £lOO and a surety of a similar amount-