MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 1 March 1932, Page 2

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

.SITTING AT GREYMOUTH. CASES' HEART) YESTERDAY. GREYMOUTH, March 1. At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday Magistrate Meldruin dealt with the following business:— FALSE, PRETENCES AND THEFT. James Ogden Alexander, 26, was charged than on or about February 16, 1962, at Stillwater, he stole one gold watch valued at £lO, and one overcoat valued at £3, the property of one Stanley Gray ; that on or about June 1,. 1932, at Hamilton, with intent to defraud, lie did obtain from Samuel Dabb, clothing to the value of £2 10s, and £2 12? 6d in money by means of a valueless cheque drawn on the Rank of New Zealand, Huntly, and signed “E. S, Williams”; that, on or about January 11, 1932, at Palmerston North, with intent to uefraud, be did obtain from Patrick James Barry £3 in money, by means of a-i valueless cheque drawn on the Bank of New South Wales, Opunalre, and signed . “C. Stowers Crowley” ; that, citi or about January 21,, 1932, at Auckland, with intent to defraud, be did obtain £5 in motley frohl one Hartlancl Leigh Buckley, by ■ falsely representing that lie had permanent employment for Buckley at a wage of £3 15s .per week; that, on or about January' 23, 1932, at Auckland, he

did obtain the sum of £5 in money from Thomas, Guy Robert Brocas, by falsely representing that he was a traveller for stationery and had a

position of a motor driver to offer

Brocas; that, on February 2, 1932, at Christchurch, with intent to defraud, .lie did obtain from Schiieiderman and 'Sons clothing to the value of £9 18s. b v two valueless cheques drawn on the National Bank ,of New Zealand, Christchurch, and signed ( J. H. Rud

dick”; that, on February 8, 1932, at Stillwater, and on divers dates between February 8, 1932, and February' l(j 1932, at Stillwater, he did obtain credit by fraud from David Wallace to wit, board and lodgings to the jvalue of £2 6d. Detective-SLrgeant T. E'. Holmes said that Alexander had arrived in New Zealand about a year ago, on a Norwegian ship. For some months he was employed on the dole, and about June of last year, he issued a valuele'cheque at Hamilton, drawn on the Bnnk of New Zealand at Huntly. He was next heard of in Nelson, where he would face a forgery charge on remand, and later lie issued valueless ’cheques at Christchurch and Palmerston North. At Auckland, lie inserted advertisements in the “Star,” offering emplovment, took £3 from one nY«h as a fidelity bend, and left with the money. A . similar charge was also preferred against him for an offence committed in Auckland, At ffjijdhvntor, ha obtained board and lodging at the hotel by representing tfet ho was an insurance manager, and while there he had stolen an overcoat and a gold watch from another boarder.

pi ended guilty to' all the charges, and elected to be dealt with summarily. In a written statement, accused stated that be had never before been before the Court. He was- a returned soldier, and had three years and 66 days’ service at the war. He was twice wouncjed, and left the Arrjiy suffering from heart trouble and shell shock. Most- of the rrines had been committed through the influence of intoxicating licyior. 3 The S.M. said that, while accused’s wnr service deserved some recognition, the .series of offences was considerable, and had been going on for some time. There had seemed to be on the part of accvw-d a settled intention of the crimes. The offences were too eerirus and over too long a period for accused to be treated as n first offender. He would be sentenced to three months’ imprisonment in Wellington gaol on each of the charges, '“the sentence- to be concurrent. Alexander also appeared on the following further charge, and was remanded to aouear at Nelson on Marcn 7:—That, on or about "December 31, 1931, at Ne'scn. be did make a false document, knowing the name to be false, to wit, by signing the name '‘Captain 2NT. IM/ j\foncrieff n to a cheque for £lO 10s, with intent that it should he acted upon as genuine.

LfCEN 31*: Id DEFRAUDED

Percy Thoman Timmins, alias Morris, alias Fredc h'k Thomas, and Percy Thornes, aged 37, was charged that, on February 26. 1932, with intent to defraud be obtained 10s from Eli/.ai)C tli Pliilli’ u by means of a false pretence.

■■ .Henior-Sf'vgoaut Ron eh stated that the accused bad not been long in Oveymoutb, and. haif|jbjpen drinking lieavil.v, and boiTotvpjpi-. money. By telling Mrs Phililps, licensee of the Imperial Hotel, that he had a son in the Welling*-'n Post Office, who would be sending him monev. accused mul persuaded h.er to lend him 10s. Mrs Phillips Inter found out that, on a iKjpjj'lar story, accused filed borrowed 10ft from a boarder at the Imperial Hotel, and bad asked accused to give Imy back Flae 10s. He had not done Accused had eleven previous convictions.

Cn a, written statement, accused said that he had been drinking heavily. He had won a small nr Up. f.n the Diggers’ Art Union aiul when lie received that money would go prospecting.

Accused was sentenced to 14 days in the Greymouth prison, and an or-

der was made that 8s 9d found in his possession be handed to Mrs Phillips. LICENSING CASES. Leonard James Montlirope, licensee of the Ngahere Hotel (Mr J. W. Hannan) was charged with exposing liquor for sale after hours. Jonathan Armstrong (Mr Hannan) was charged with being found on licensed premises on February 6. Both eases were heard 'together. . The S.M. said that Armstrong appeared to have taken a parcel to the licensee, and was quite within his lawful rights in' entering the premises but when lie stopped to have a drink and hid in a bedroom he was unlawfully on the premises. He would be. convicted and ordered to pay costs amounting to 12s. One of the otuer men found on the premises, who did not appear, was also convicted and fined 12s costs. The case against the licensee, said the S.M., was noo proved and tlie evidence showed that he had not known that the two men had entered while he had been at the rear of the hotel. The information would be dismissed.

MAINTENANCE. An order that all past arrears be cancelled, and that the payment of maintenance be suspended for three months, was made as. the result of an application by William Frith, for variation of a maintenance older'in respect to his wife, Mary Alice Frith.

An affiliation order, at 12s 6d per veek was made, by consent, against a young man for the maintenance of a child, and he was also ordered to pay £l 17s 6d past maintenance and £l6 3s for costs incidental to the child’s birth.