MAGISTERIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVIII, Issue 11335, 31 July 1897, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL.

* CHRISTCHURCH. Friday, July' 30. 'mV ((Before Mr E. Westenra, J.P., and K , Hood Williams, J.P.) 'SBL ” Alleged Assault. —L. Griffiths ’’fnk. charged with having, on July 14, at Opawa| assaulted Stephen Mildren. Mildren wai charged with having, on the same date, drawn a dray to the wrong side of the road when another Vehicle was passing. Mr Wilding appeared for Mildren and Mr Stringer for Griffiths. Mildren admitted that when the coach passed him he had drawn up his horses and dray on the wrong side of the road, having done that to give his horses a spell before crossing some broken metal. ; In the afternoon of : the same day ' the . Vehicles ■ met again. v on ..,'thq Opawa" .Road,. ...and. Griffiths.-, then-got off his coach and assaulted Mildreh. For the defence Griffiths said that he.had been subjected to a good deal of- annoyance at the; hands of Mildren since, ho had. been running his coach. The blocking of, his coach on the morning of ■July 14 had been, reported by his driver, and in the afternoon witness asked him what he had done that for and said that if ho waited .&"« fight, as ho had said, they could have it out. Mildren put up his arm, ‘and witness, thinking he was going to strike,, hit him first. ~.Evidence was given by several witnesses on both sides. Mildren was filled os add Griffiths 10si each party to pay.his own.costs. ,

TIMARU. Friday, July 30, ■ (Before Mr C. A. Wray, S.M., and Mr P. H. , Thoreau, J.P.). , ■ Destitute Persons Act. —Mr Raymond and Mr Whyte appeared for the parties to settle the custody of an illegitimate infant.. The father had paid expenses incurred, and offered to take charge of and maintain the child, but the mother objected unless the person with whom it was to be placed was approved of by her, and the person .named by defendant was not approved. The complainant wished.to place the infant with her mother, and asked for an order for a contribution. The Court held that 'the mother, should choose, and made an order to that effect and for the defendant to pay 5s per week. ; Malicious Injury.—-Three boys were charged with setting fire, to a gorse fence on the Compstall Fstate on Sunday last, and pleaded not. guilty. One of the three .admitted'that two of them took sticks from a; smouldering fire and after carrying them for a,, few chains threw them away. The casef-was dismissed .with, a caution against saolFrecklefS negligence in a dry .season. .- Unregistered Dogs.—A batch of summonses taken out by Job Hopkins, dog tax collector to the Levels County Council, was dealt with. About half the cases were dismissed through some mistake or other on the part of the collector, and in other cases fines of 2s 6d and 5s per dog were imposed. In one case the Huntsman of ■ the i South •• Canterbury .Hunt Club was -shmnqqned for having seventeen dogs unregistered, , The .defendant said he was hot responsible, as the club had agreed to •register the dogs, and the Secretary to the club said that it would have been done but ■the club was short of funds. A fine of Is a head on fifteen dogs and 11s costs was imposed. In two of the cases dismissed the - collector was ordered to pay defendants’ Costs, 10s each. ■lmpounding Cases.—J. Hopkins, county -ranger, summoned two persons for allowing •stock to he at large on public roads.- _ One case was withdrawnandtwo were dismissed, the Bench making some remarks about the impropriety, of people being harassed by a public official. Alleged Assault. —John Williams, of Adair, was charged by Job Hopkins with assaulting him on Tuesday last. Complainant swore that he called at defendant’s house to ask if his dog was registered, when defendant caught him by the collar and struck him in the face, then picked up a gorse .knife7and threatened to kill him, and.when defendant’s daughter interfered he put out his foot and gave him a push in the back that had severely hurt him’. Defendant, his wife and daughter-gave a point'.blank denial : to the complainant’s assertions, and the case was. dismissed.