MAGISTERIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 7562, 29 May 1885, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL.

GHEISTCHUECH. Thursday, Mat 28,

(Before E. Beetham, Esq., E.M., E Westenra, and J. D. Enys, Esqs.)

Drunkenness. Margaret Williams, charged on remand with this offence, was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment. She had five convictions recorded against her since last February. Elizabeth Gleeson, who had been thrice fined or imprisoned during the past six months, was also sentenced to two months’ hard labour. —Mary Cunningham, who had nbt been before the Court for some months, was fined £l, or forty-eight hours.

Malicious Injury to Property. Richard William Finney was charged with cutting down a number of trees, value £5, in a garden belonging to L. A. Green, .Springfield road, on the night of May 26, Inspector Pender called: Lester Augustus Green, a carpenter, living in the Springfield road, who said he owned a six-roomed house beside his dwellinghouse. ■ There was a garden attached to it, which was enclosed with a picket and quick fence. The six-roomed house had not been occupied since April 20, but previous to&bmt date, accused lived there. Accused ■ pkid no rent. Gave him three months’ notice to leave and turned him out. Accused swore at witness and said that he would either do him somegffbodily harm or bum the houaflk- head. On Tuesday night mat after witness had gone to bed he was roused by a dog barking. Witness went out ih'< his shirt, and saw. accused’ on the unoccupied section alongside the house. Accused was cutting down the cypress. Witness sung out; asked him what he was doing, and he cleared off. Accused had along knife in his hand. Witness went inside and dressed, and when he came out again saw that four ,young "fir trees and twenty-nine macrocarpa had been cut off close to the ground. . The young trees were produced in Court. The creepers close to the verandah had also been cut down. v> itness had paid £5 for the trees, &c., destroyed. The front door of the unoccupied house was open, and a pane of glass broken in the window. Missed the key of the front door. .The key the police had was the one. Was with . Constable Flewellyn when he found it in the prisoner’s house this morning. The key of one of the rooms was gone, also a packingcase that had been made into a cupboard. Three apple trees and a plum tree had also been cut down. Cross-examined: Had known Finney about two years. Did not go after accused on the night of May 26, because witness was in his “naked clothes.” Had seized accused’s effects for rent when was due. At this stage Mr Joyce, who Hfcpeared for accused, applied for a remand, course of an argument as to bail, remarked that he really did accused was sane; but this was not a matter he had to do with, as accused had been brought up under a charge of insanity, and the medical men would not certify. A few ’ days ago accused had, accosted Mr Beetham in the street under the impression that he owed him (Mr Beetham) money, and had behaved in a manner not at all reasonable. Accused was remanded to Tuesday next, bail allowed in one surety of £SO. Struck off the Roll.— On the application of Mr G. L. Lee, Registrar of Electors, the names of seventy-two persons who have ceased to be qualified to vote for oA j£e Iroll'.l 1 r oll'. l -iT'irlr Unlicensed Meeting. —Emma Beatty,! proprietress of the Theatre Royal, waa charged with a breach of the City By-laws! in allowing a public meeting to be held ini that building on Sunday, May 10, without! having obtained a license for the purpose.! Mr Meares, who appeared for defendant,! was instructed to admit the offence but! he explained that the meeting in question! had been one. of Mrs Leavitt’s Gospel perance meetings, and there was no ohargl made for admission. Mrs Beatty had been under the ' impression that it was-onlj necessary for her to obtain apermit from tha City Council when such a charge was made j| but since she had ascertained it was necesl sary.to obtain a license in any case, sh« had done so. Inspector Pender said thatt he. had never seen so large a meeting in this Theatre, and as ho permit had been applied! for the police had no' official notice, anew could not have seen after the means om egress for the safety of - the congregation J only that they heard of it incident J ally. He did not think that the| City Council wished to press the matter| further than was necessary to let owners of| buildings understand that they must have| licenses for such meetings for- the safety of j the public. His "Worship said it was defen-| dant’s business to make herself acquainted! with the law affecting the management of | public buildings, ? seeing the position she| held. The full penalty was £2O, and a fine j of ' iii ' i

Miscellaneous. —Walter Havill, a lad of fifteen, was fined 5s for throwing stones on a building in which a congregation was assembled for public worship. He did ; not at all look like one of the larrikin type, and bad borne a good character. —David Milne, who was believed to have gone to Sydney, had fines amounting to .£2 recorded against him for having been drunk and driving furiously at Sumner. He was also ordered to be imprisoned for 48 hours for using obscene language.—James White, a boy who appeared to be suffering from some mental complaint, was accused of breaking the glass in the window of St Matthew’s schoolroom, St Albans. It appeared" that the boy had been quite dangerous in fhis conduct, throwing stones at everybody he met, and che case had been brought to see what could be done to control him. His dismissed the information, and promised to have the boy’s state of mind enquired into. For allowing cows to ae at large, B. Howard was fined 10s, 1 and Michael Mulhern ss. For being the owners of dogs not registered the following were fined 10s and costs 7s:—(Avon District) T. B. Sherlock, T. Terry, S. Murphy, B. J. Kerr; (Linwood) C. A. Go wan,-W. B. Cooke, W. Dunnage, J. Boland j i (St Albans) J. C., Clark, T. Moor, W. Gregory, J. Wathew, T. Tait; C. Stewart, J. Haggle, H. Piercy, F. Haslem, J. C. Chappie, yT. Davis, and J. B. Rutland. 'Several pewoni $ i * ’ 1

escaped the'fine because they had registered their dogs a few hours before. LITTLE RIVER. Tuesday, Mat 26. (Before H. C. S. Baddeley, Esq., E.M., and A. D. Allan, Esq.) Cattle, at Large. — C. D. Eankin, J. Sharrocfc, and G. Robinson were fined 10s each and costs; W. Coop, E. Ferguson and Peter Petersen 5s each and costs; J. Stanbury, for six head of cattle, 30s and costs ; H. Darby, four head of cattle, 20s and costs. ‘ - _ Obstructing a Eoad. —S. Tini (a Maori) was charged with leaving four sacks of potatoes on the main public road. Mr E. Main, driver of the Akaroa coach, having given evidence, the defendant was fined 10a, expenses of witness, and costs. Civil Cases. —"W. Coop y. G. Euru, £- j judgment for plaintiff.—D. Eeichenbach v. C. Inder, £1 2s 6d; judgment for plaintiff.—Eeidrich v. Moko (a Maori) ; judgment summons. Defendant denied being the right person; it was his son who owed the money. Plaintiff, on being sworn, proved that he was. Ordered to pay the amount within ten days, or go to faol for two months.—Smith v. Nelson, [r Potts for plaintiff. Settled out of Court. TIMARTJ, . Thursday, May 28. (Before J. S. Beswick, Esq., E.M., and E. G. Stericker, Esq.) Drunkenness. —James Scott, alias David Gray, alias John Stewart, alias James M'Killop, an old offender, was -sent to gaol for one month with hard labour. Vagrancy. —John M'Cimesky, alias John Hall, for vagrancy, was similarly dealt with. ' Wipe Beating. —' William Stevens, charged with violently beating his wife on May 26, was remanded, pending the appearance of prosecutrix, who was too ill, from the effects of the assault, to appear. Bail was allowed in two sureties of .£25 each. Police Summonses. James Cain, for driving without reins, was fined 20s and costs.—M. Whelan, for allowing a bull to wander at large, was similarly dealt with. Civil Cases. The cases of Hobbs Brothers v. Jackson and others (Stewards of the Point Easing Club), and Gentleman v. Same, both,for recovery of stakes, were adjourned by the Court to June 2.