MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 September 1924, Page 9

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

W-EEKLY SITTING.

The weekly sitting of the Hawera Magistrate’s Court was held to-dav, when Mr J. S. Barton, S.M., presided.

ALLEGED COAIAION ASSAULT.

Frederick D. Edgecombe was charged ‘by the police with common assault on. a Chinese named Ah So, a previous information being withdrawn by leave of the court. ”

Sergeant Henry prosecuted, and Air Ryan appeared for accused. Sergeant Henry said that on the 16th of the present - month Ah So called at Airs Ling’s gardens on the Beach road to get vegetables for another Chinese named Wee On. Ah So drove into the yard, and Mrs Ling accused him of taking customers away from her, which argument she followed up with punishment from a whip. Edgecombe then came rushing out, and in the struggle which followed hestruck the Chinese over the head several times with a knife. (A knife v\ ith a blade about 10 inches long was produced in court.) Accused- when interviewed by the police denied having used the knife. Air Ryan. said that accused assured him that he did not use the knife and that the knife was held by the Chinese. Accused was only 20. years of age. Accused was put in the witness box. where he stated that he was in bed when he heard words between his employer, Mrs' Ling, and the Chinese. He vent to a window, and saw the Chines© with a knife to Mrs Ling’s stomach, whereupon he rushed out to give assistance. While they were rolling on the ground the knife was knocked out of the hands of the Chinese, and was picked up by Mrs Ling. Accused did not use the knife, but only ■truck with his fists. After the struggle the Chinese gave Airs Ling 7s for the return of the knife, but Mrs Ling threw, the money out into the yard. The Chinese then offered £1 for the knife, but he was told that the knife would be handed to the police. He then retired, leavhalf a crown of the 7s lying in theyard. (This half-crown was also produced in court.) Sergeant Henry: The Chinese says that accused had a revolver in one hand.

His Worship: Then the Chinese says that accused had a revolver in one hand and a knife in the other! At this stage his Worship deferred the case until next Thursday in order to give the police opportunity to. procure further evidence as to the ownership of the knife and the truth of accused’s statement that he had no revolver and there was not even one kept m the house. LIQUOR AFTER HOURS.

Mary Cramp, licensee of the Central Hotel, was charged with selling liquor after hours.-

Sergeant Henry prosecuted, and Air G: H. Ryan appeared for defendant and pleaded guilty. Sergeant Henry mentioned, the circumstances, 'which- were the same as had been brought out in a case against a young resident of the town who had appeared before the court last Thursday. The sergeant said there were two points in the licensee’s favour, namely, that she had not made any false statements concerning the case, and, secondly, she conducted a firstclass hotel. Defendant was too goodhearted, and the fact that the charge had been brought was the result of her not being able to say no. Mr Ryan said that at 10.30 p.m. on the date in question a boarder named Famnton asked Mrs- Cramp to get him a drink. The licensee opened the bar to get it, and while the bar was open ™ y? un £ fellow in question came in. Mrs Cramp at first refused to get him the beer, but later, to save further argument, she handed over the five bottles.

His Worship said he had recently had occasion to endorse two licenses as the result of similar charges being brought, but he would take into account the good character given the licensee by the police and also the abof false denials. A fine of £3 and 7s court costs was imposed. CASES. _ George Glenn was fined 7s 6d and 7s court costs for allowing a car to stand in High street without a rear light.

P. Iv. Moody (Mr L. A. Taylor) pleaded not guilty to a charge of allowing a car to stand in Princes street without lights attached. On evidence being given Mr Taylor withdrew the plea of not guilty, and a fine of 5s and <s court costs was imposed. Charles Ward was fined £1 10s and /s couit costs .for driving over an intersection at a speed greater than six miles per hour. Defendant’s speed was estimated by the borough inspector at over 20 miles per hour. John Campbell was charged with allowing a horse to stray j IL Dixon Avenue. Mr Houston appeared .for the loiough, and on evidence being given hy the ranger defendant was fined 7s od and 17s 6d costs. G. C. Sinclair was charged with allow mg ].() cows to stray in Dixon Avenue. Defendant pleaded not guilty. Ihe ranger, in giving evidence, said there was no one in charge of the cows when he came upon them but when he commenced to drive them a bov of ** tw 01 yours carnc uo. f u J V iendi ! l , lt) * n sii'iog evidence, said that on the occasion in question the boy was in charge of the cows, and the previous Sunday the ranger had inormed him that as long as someone was m charge of the animals it was all ng it. In any ease the cows belonged to his wife. Defendant wanted to know if he had not the same right to graze his cows on the road as the lamrer had to graze his horses. His Worship pointed out that cows could not be grazed on the road, and costs™ P OS€d a fine ° f £1 and 17s DEFENCE CASES. . For f l ailin ? to atfce nd drill fines were imposed as follows: A. Linton, £1 and I s cowt L costs ! E. J. Murtagh, £3 and f. s coul ' fc c '°sts; H. J. 01 liver, 10s and I s cour l costs = D. J. A. Sales, £2 and os court costs (fine to be remitted on the grounds of insufficient means): N J. Wmthrnn, £1 and 7s court costs.