MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXII, 14 May 1912, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Business as follows was dealt by Mr Kenrick, S.M., at the .Han-era Courthouse to-day (Monday). PROHIBITION ORDERS. On the application of the police, prohibition orders were, issued against three local residents (a man and two women), none of whom appeared to oppose the applications. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN. John Curry McDonald was charged with having failed to provide his wife, Mary McDonald, and three children, with adequate maintenance. Mr P. ODea appeared for Mrs McDonald, and after her evidence had been heard, an order was made for payment of los -per week for aupport of the wife and 5s per week for each of the children; the first payment to be made on May 20th. Solicitor's lee was allowed against the defendant. i A FIRST OFFENDER. On a charge of drunkenness, a first offeuder, who did not appear, was fined ss, the amount of his bail. BREACHES OF PROHIBITION ORDERS. Thomas Glynn, who admitted having been drunk, was fined ss; and on a further charge of procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order against him (also admitted) was fined 40s, with 7s costs. SUPPLYING LIQUOR TO PROHIBITED PERSON. "To a further charge of having supplied liquor to another prohibited person, the same defendant, T. Glynn, for whom Mr ODea appeared, pleaded not guilty, but subsequently withdrew the plea. Evidence in support of the charge was given by Joseph Dyer, and Mr ODea, on behalf of defendant, pointed but that all the charges were the result of a drunken orgy on defendant's part, and the case was hardly on the same plane as if he had committed the offence in his sober senses. His Worship said that if a person committed this offence and thereby got other people into trouble, he must expect to be punished for it. A fine of £5 would be inflicted, and had it not been defendant's first offence, the full penalty would have been imposed. Defendant was allowed until the end of the month in which to pay the fine. CHARGE WITHDRAWN. In connection with a charge of breach of a prohibition order against Joseph Dyer, Sergeant Griffith asked that under the circumstances he might be allowed to withdraw the charge. His Worship consented to this course being adopted. SUPPLYING LIQUOR TO NATIVES. Charles Ernest Watts, licensee of the Normanby Hotel, was charged with having on the 6th May supplied liquor to a Maori for consumption off licensed premises. Sergeant Griffith conducted the case for the police, and Mr ODea appeared for defendant. Evidence in support of the charge was given by Wipa, a native, who said that on 6th May.he had purchased a bottle of whisky from defendant, and gave it to Hui Ao, his friend. Iv answer to Mr ODea, witness said the whisky was not procured in the bar but from another room, witness and | Hui Ao standing at the door of the room while defendant got it. Was perfectly sure that he had paid defendant 6s 6d for the bottle of whisky. Hui Ao was present. Hui.Ao deposed that Wipa had given him the bottle of whisky, but witness had not seen him pay defendant for it. I Witness had had two drinks at the upper house and three at defendant's i —all whisky. Wipa paid for all the drinks. Witness was drunk, but was able to walk to his home a mile away. | In answer to Mr ODea the witness said Wipa gave him the bottle in defendant's hotel. It was possible that Wipa had got the bottle at the other hotel. Constable Hauler detailed the circumstances under which he had taken a bottle of whisky from Hui Ao, near the Normanby railway station. Hui A6 said Waipa had given it to him, and Wipa tojd witness defendant had sold it to him. When witness interviewed defendant in reference to the matter, tbe latter said he bad givel* the bottle of whisky to the natives. Witness noticed no sign of liquor upon Hui Ao when he took the bottle from him. To Mr ODea: Witness had no reason to complain about tbe manner in which defendant conducted his hotel. Defend ant had said he gave the natives the whisky and had not said that they took it. Chai'les Ernest Watts, licensee of the Normanby Hotel, gave evidence that ■ Wipa kad asked him to sell a bottle of whisky, but witness bad replied that he could not do so. Witness while bringing in som.e bottles of whisky from the storeroom to the bar, put down two, while he locked the door. Wipa picked ;up one bottle, and said, "That's all right-, I see you again." Witness had not expected to be paid for it, but had not gone after the Maori and got the whisky back from him. When asked by Constable Hadler if he had sold a bottle of whisky to tbe natives, witness had replied, "No; I neither sold nor gave it to them." Witness bad held ■i license before, but had had nothing to do with Maoris. Mr P. ODea, having addressed the Court, His Worship said that he was unable to believe defendant's statement that he had allowed' a, strange native to pick up the bottle of whiskj without payment for it, and walk awas without an attempt to get it back, Even had it been so, defendant woulc still have supplied tbe liquor, and, ac cording to the Act, the supplying— nol only the sal<i —was an offence. A fine o: r<lo. with £2 4s 4d costs, would be in Bicted. "