TO-DAYS COURT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 24 May 1915, Page 8

TO-DAYS COURT.

(Before Mr Kenrick, S.M.)

BREACH OF RAILWAY BY-LAWS

A. E. Sparrow was proceeded against by the Railway Department for having driven "a motor car over a level crossing between Hawera and Whareroa when an engine was approaching within half a mile of the crossing, such constituting a breach of the railway by-laws. The defendant pleaded guilty. 'Senior-Sergeant McNeely said that the engine driver stated he had seen the car approaching, and he blew the whistle for nine seconds. The car, however, did not pull vp r and it. escaped the engine by a few feet only. , The defendant said the crossing was a bad one, and that he did riot hear the whistle. He would not have risked his life and that of his passengers by running over a crossing in front of an approaching train. The Senior-Sergeant: I believe it is a bad -crossing, but the railway by-laws say that drivers ■ must pull up when approaching level crossings. The Magistrate said that was the trouble; men did not pull up. He could not understand them risking their lives in that way.

A fine of £1, .with costs, was imposed. THEFT Or A BICYCLE.

W. J. Brocklehurst, a youth who gave.his age as about 17, but who really looked older, pleaded guilty to having, at Stratford on May 21, stolen a bicycle, valued at £12. Senior-Sergeant McNeely said that on the evening of the date mentioned the owner of the bicycle left the machine behind a shed near the picture palace while he went to the pictures. Brocklehurst came along and took the machine, and the next day rode it to Hawera. He tried to dispose of it to a local bicycle dealer for £5, and not being able to obtain the five pounds, he offered it for 10s. The police were communicated with, and the accused was arrested on Saturday morning. The Magistrate said this class of offence was becoming too frequent, and a great difficulty was experienced by the police in recovering 6splen bicycles. He could not let the accused oft, but as he had never previously been before the Court he would deal lightly with him, and sentence him to one month's imprisonment with hard labor. Accused Would see that he could not do that sort of thing, and ihis Worship hoped his present experience would be a lesson to him.