MAGISTERIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12531, 19 June 1901, Page 9

MAGISTERIAL.

CHRISTCHURCH, Tpesdsat, June 18. (Before Mr H, W. Rkfeap> S.M.J Duunrbsije.ss.—Eliza Le Strange was fined 10®, in default forty-eight hours’ impTmoument.—-A first offender waa fined ss, la; default twenty-four • hours’ Imprironmen/t.—Oharie? Rangdown was charged dnuik in the Rapanui Hotel, and with-to quit, th© premises when ordered to do so. The offence was pxov-. ed, and accused was. fined 6s on each charge, » in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment. A Semes of Charges.— George Cowan and Ann Cowan, were, conjointly charged that on June 15 they did enter the pre raises of Andrew Graham Holmes, at Hoon Hay, and steal therefrom six pairs of kid glove®, and twelve silk ‘ handkerchiefs, of the value o|. £5 j also that, they did damage to a chest, of drawer® by breaking them open when locked. . Accused pleaded, not , guilty, and. were, undefended. The police .called Elizabeth Holmes,; wife of A, Q. Holmes, who said that when she and her husband left the house on June 15 she had left tee drawers locked, and the articles named inside them-. On returning An, tee she found the drawer® broken open and. damaged. Pieces of woodwork' were produced in Court, Witness said both ■ accused were in. the house when ghe returned, the woman upstairs and the man, in the passage. Examined by accused, witness said teat accused, George Oowan was he? brother-in-law, Ann Qetaan waa ■witness’® sister. Accused had bee? l to teeir house twice before. She had heard accused say that witness’s; mother owed him some money some years before. Had made a promise to give accused some money on one occasion, provided she (witness) could get it husband. Being asked by tee Magistrate what the references to money had to do with the charge of entering, the male accused said he wished to bring it but to show the reason for his going into the house, A, Q. Holmes explained that he had returned home with his wife about 4 p,m., on Saturday, and found tee accused inside the house, and when ordered by witness to leave the place accused made some demand for money, and used some threats in connection with this demand. Witness said he became insolent, bo witness gave him as good a thrashing os he could, though accused inflicted soma severe blows on witness’s head. Accused threatened to “do for’* ©fitness if be did not get the money. Jane Brydon, domestic (servant employed at deposed to both ueauaod arriving at the house at about 8.30 p.m., on June 15. The mala accused said they were related to Mrs Holmes* They then went into the house, and went upstairs. Witness only heard footsteps all over upstairs, but: ho other noise. They remained upstrirs until Mrs Holmes returned home, about. 4 p.m- They were in Mrs Holme# bedroom. Tha chest of drawer* w# quite sound in the morning when witness did up the room. To the male accused : Witness let accused into th© house by the front door/and into the dining-room, where she gave them eako and whisky. Knew th© room in which the female accused’s father’s picture was hanging. Detective Fit zgerald said he had gone to examine the place, and saw the chest of drawers which had been broken open by violence. Arrested both accused in Armagh Street, Christchurch, when they admitted having been at Holmes’s house, and the male accused said teat he had threatened his wife to kill her if she would not accompany him to Holmes’s bouse. Another charge was then , heard against both accused of stealing a gold pin, value.£3, the property of G. Crompton. The police applied for a remand till Friday,; as-the pin had only just been regained.':! The flench remanded the male accused till Tuesday next, and admitted the female accused to bail on her own recognizances of £25. Maintenance. — On the application of Mr Cassidy, a second hearing of the case of Vickery and Smith, waa adjourned for two weeks, aa counsel hoped to effect an amicable settlement. cation, Ann Elizabeth Bigwood v. John Bigwood, for an increase’ to an existing order of tee Court, Mr Stringer appeared for the applicant, and Mr Lane for the defendant. A vast amount of evidence was given as to the financial position of both parties, who have lived separately for some time, the wife -in Christchurch, with her sons and one daughter, and - tha husband at* Ravensboume, near Dunedin, where ha has a house, and pays a housekeeper 10s a week. The source of -the trouble between the parties appeared to be the receipt by the wife of a sum of money. The case for th« defence was that the wife had ample funds for herself and family, and that she fead refused to accept a cottage which Bigwood had promised to make over to her as it did not suit her to live in. The Magistrate mad© an order of 12s a week, but an order to find sureties was allowed to. remain in obeyance. —The case o! Murray v. Murray was dismissed, owing to the non-appearance of the complainant. In the case of Lucy Hix v. Thomas Hix, Mr Leathern for the defendant, the wife applied for arrears of a maintenance order. The defence was that the hnsband was seventy-one years of age and an old age pensioner, who had lost his work as mailman at Mount Somers through being lost in, the snow and having his arm paralysed. Th© Magistrate dismissed the case, and. on the application of Mr Leathern, cancelled the existing older.—Alexander Charles Mils was sentenced to three weeks’ imprisonment for disobeying an order of the Court to contribute towards the support of an illegitimate child.—Ralph Simpson was sentenced to .fibte months’ imprisonment for disobeying a maintenance order for the support of his wife.—Robert Ash was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for a similar offence. —On the application of a wife, the order against her husband for maintenance was cancelled, as they were now living together. A Separation Order.— ln the case of Lydia Good v. J. H. E. Good, an application for a summary separation order and the custody of three children, on the grounds of cruelty, desertion and drunkenness, Mr Russell appeared for complainant, and evidence in support e-f the alleged cruelty and dninke-nness whs given by Mis Good and Constable Middleton. The made th© order for th© parties

to he separated* ■ the wife to hay© charge, of the children, and the husband to pay £1 a week towards their maintenance and to pay the costs.of the. case, including solicitor’s fee. RANGIORA. Tuesday, June. 18(Before Mr E. R. Good, J•F •> and Mr- C, I. Jennings, J.P.) Civil, Cases. — Mandevillo and Rangiora Road Board v. Richard Whittow, claim lls 7d rates. Judgment by default, with costs 7s.—Rangiora Borough Council v. M. Melbourne, claim 1.5®, fid; rates. Judgment for amount and 5s costs.