ELTHAM

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9305, 22 March 1907, Page 5

ELTHAM

MAGISTRATE S COURT. In the Magistraibe/s Court on Thursday before Mr A. Turnbull, S.M., the Mowing cases, were taken : — . RAGWORT. . Nicholas Muir was charged with failing to eradicate ragwort frtom his property. Inspector Heslop, who prosecuted, saad'that the case was a very bad one, and his instaructions had not been complied with. A. Wan gave evidence that on Christmas Day the weeds were bread; high, Mr Wake submitted that tihe jurisdiction of the. Hawera County Council, undfc* Whose special order th© plaintafl! proceeded, had lapsed with the establishment of the new Eltbaan County, and that as the Mtham County Council had made no order under the Noxious Weeds Act/ covering the' dates tof the offences alleged in this case, the information should be dismissed Mr Hesilpp iv reply urged that the order made by itibo BCawera County Council was valid up to March 31. Decision on this point was reserved. Defendant in the box stated that he had complied with the in spector's instructions and had done all he could to eradicate th© pest. Decision was reserved. POL3CE CASES Francis Urick was fined 2s 6d and costs 7s for having ridden a bicycle on a footpath. W. Maddocki was fined 10a and costs'Ts for having driv«n horses (lotose) in the; borough during prohibited hours. For disorderly behaviour William- Brown and Henry James Ford were each fined 10s and costs 4s 6d. MARCHANT v. MARCHANT. Henry Marchaat, Eltham, was charged on twp informations with having been guilty of cruelty to his wife, Mrs Mary Ann Mai chant, and of willingly neglecting to provide reasonable maintenance for her; and Mrs Marchant applied for a separation order under the MarriedWonien's Property Act., 1896, arid for the custody of the children under sixteen and for a weekly ifiaintonance in such sums as the* Court may direct. * Mr Spence appeared for plaintiff and Mr Crump for defendant. Mr* Mai chant deposed that she had been mamed 24 years and had lived in Mtham 13 years. The defendant's conduct had been bad, except for three yeans" during which he was a Good Templar. Since hie left the lodge he had drunk all the time and had not worked >regularly. Prohibition orders were ineffective. On a number of occasions he had struck witness, and after one attack she had to visit a doctor. Ho once burst into her room with an axe and threatened to "do for" her. Recently hie kicked her in the stomach and hit her. Evidence* in support of the plaintiff's case was given by several bcojrders and I three of the parties' chffldren, and the case waa then adjourned unfal April 11.