MAGISTERIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 13889, 25 October 1905, Page 5

MAGISTERIAL.

’ CHRISTCHURCH. Monday, October 23. (Before Mr V. G.Day, S.M.) Drunkenness.' —A, first offender and two women were each fined 5s and costs. Withdrawn.I—Jambs 1 — Jambs Longdon (Mr Cassidy)’ .was charged with the theft on October 11 of a bicycle-valued at £ls, the property of Ada Haworth. SubInspector Dwyer said that lie intended to call no l evidence in the case, which could not be upheld. accused had been soon on Saturday night wheeling a bicycle, in the direction of the Park. Ho could giro no satisfactory explanation to a constable other than that he possessed a bicycle and was under the impression that the one ho had was his own. After the accused had been locked up for some time the, police found his bicycle- in the city. The case was withdrawn and the accused discharged. Theft of Money.— Neil Reid, an elderly man, pleaded guilty to the theft of £2 in money, the property of Thomas Lynch. Chief-Detective Ohrystal said that both men had been living in t-n-e same room where the offence had been committed. The accused, who had never previously been before the Court, pleaded for leniency. Mr Day said ho did not like to sand an old man. to gaol for a first offence, but the case was hardly oil© for probation. Accused would be convicted and ordered to com© up for sentence when called upon. V Aor.ANCY.—Alice Graham pleaded guilty to a charge of vagrancy. She pleaded for leniency on the ground, that’she had just come out of a home. The/cas-s was remanded till the afternoon to ascertain wh-etoer any of -the homes would readmit the accused.

Rewarded.—Alfred G-Gorge Driscoll pleaded not guilty to a charge of being an idle and disorderly person in that he habitually consorted iwit-h reputed thieves and prostituteis, v Ho aj)plied for a remand till Wednesday, .which was granted..—Arthur Wooiston, alias Sloan, a lad about nineteen years of _ age, was charged with having obtained frem Zvlary Leech Bowman by means of false pretences one suit of clothes and other articles valued at £5. Ho was alleged to have falsely represented himself to be in constant employment and in receipt of aigood wage, and also that his employer would go surety for payment of the articles received. On the application of ChiefDetective Chrystal a remand was granted till Wednesday, bail being allowed in £SO. A Double Chaege. —William Henry Simmeuds was charged with being ail idlo_ and disorderly person in that ho habitually consorted with, reputed thieves _ and prostitutes. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of vagrancy and guilty to a charge of having kept a house frequented by thieves and prostitutes. The Magistrate said that houses such as accused’s gave rise to mere than half the trouble, in the city, and they would have te be cleared out. Accused would he sentenced to two months' imprisonment. Bv-Law Cases.—J. Wiberg admitted a cnargG of having ridden a bicycle on the night of October 10, in Colombo Street, without displaying a light. He was fined 10s and costs. -P. Moir (Mr Beattie) pleaded ifot guilty to a charge of having driven a vehicle across the Durham Street- railway crossing when an engine was approaching within half a mile from the crossing. Evidence was given that-dur-ing shunting operations accused had disregarded the crossing-keeper’s signa 7 and the approaching line of trucks, "and but for the engine-driver’s promptitude in applying the brakes the cart and horse would have been thrown into the cattle stop. 'Hie defence was that aX Moir approached the crossing he could not see any engine, and the trucks were standing still. As ho got up to them they _wer e driven forward, and the crossing-keeper only then rushed out with the green flag: Moir drove ahead for his own safety. Thp Magistrate held that the offence had boon proved, and imposed a fine of £l, costs and witnesses’ expenses..

(Before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M.) Default Cases.—fin the following undefended cases judgment was'given for the .plaintiffs willi costs;■—Rachael Willis v. Charles Weijman, £1 14s, and possession in a week; John Bridgeman (Mr Bishop) v. Marv - Jane Powers, £2O.

. Claim row Rent. —W. E. Ramsay (Mr Dougall) claimed £7 10s from Seegucr, Langguth and Co. (Mr Cassidy), as one month’s rent for premises in - Christchurch leased by them, i After some argument, on Mr Bengali's application the plaint was amended to one month's use and occupation. A good deal of legal argument took place regarding an agreement'to-lease in writing referred to hy Mr Cassidy which had not been stamped. Mr Cassidy subsequently put in a counter-claim on the strength of this agreement, but 'Mr Dougall objected to this on the ground that the agreement, being unstamped, could not be put m. After hearing evidence on both sides Air Bishop reserved judgment., Tuesday, October- 24. ■ (Before Mr H. W. Bishop'. S.M.) Drunkenness. —lsabella Reekie, whom the Magistrate described as a nuisance, was convicted and discharged. She had just come out of gaol after serving a sentence of six months’ imprisonment.—George Duncan, a second offender, was fined 10s and costs, in default forty-eight hours’ ■ imprisonment. An Incorrigible Rogue.— Jessie Edwards, alias M’Kewen, pleaded guilty to. a. charge of being an incorrigible rogue, having insufficient lawful means of support, and that she had previously been convicted as a rogue and a vagabond. She pleaded for leniency. Mr Bishop said he had to consider the safety of the public, and women such as 1 the accused simply preyed upon the public. It was useless for her to 'ask for leniency with the record she carried. _ Hers was really a ease-for a*n indeterminate sentence, a thing of which a good deal was nowadays heard. On the last occasion bh© accused was sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment; this time she would have to go to gaol for eighteen months.

By-law Casks.— Edward Maynard, Alexander F. Thompson and Walter Chambers were each fined 5s and costs for breaking tbs bicycle by-laws.—W. Markham, for driving a .vehicle at other than a walking pace across the intersection of High, Hereford and Colombo Streets, was fined 10s and costs.—John David Butler, for allowing a cow to wander in Chichester Street-, was fined 5s and costs. False Pretences. —Henry Fraser Marshall, charged with the theft on October 13 of one bicycle valued at £l2, the property of John Brice, pleaded not guilty. John B'rioe gave evidence that he allowed Marshall to take the bibyclc on a promise to pay for -it. Acting-Detective Ward gave evidence that accused had -admitted having the bicycle, hut said ho did not like to return it, and did not have the money to pay for it. The information was dismissed, m© Magistrate remarking that it would be stretching the law very far to bring the case within a charge of theft. There was no false representation on accused’s part, and the bicycle dealer had allowed the bicycle out on no definite promise ae to when it was to he paid for. The accused was then charged v/ith having obtained board and lodgings valued at. £2 10s from Reuben Ogden, hotelkeeper, .about Oo-

tober 22, by false pretences, having stated that Mr Donnelly, solicitor, had money for him, and would pay for his board and lodging. He pleaded guilty. JMr Donnelly said that some time ago ho had paid accused £3OO, which had been sent from America. Sines then, however, there had been no further payments and no indication that therei would bo any. Accused was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. Affiliation. —John Armstrong (Mr Donnelly), charged with being about to leave the colony without making provision for the maintenance of an ‘unborn .child, of which he was alleged, to be the father, was bound over to. appear on November 21. LYTTELTON. \ Monday, October 23. (Before Mr C. Ferrier, J.P.) Drunkenness. — j.wo men, who appeared before the Court for the first time, and who had been locked up on Saturday for drunkenness, were convicted and discharged with a caution. (Before Mr C. Ferrier, J.P., and Captain 'Willis, J.P.) A Charge of Assault. —Francis Mappie was charged with having on Saturday last assaulted William John P-ut-nvan by catching aim by th-o throat and threatening to stab aim. On the application of Mr Harper, who appeared for the prosecution, the accused was remanded till Wednesday. , Bail was allowed in one surety of £lO.