MAGISTERIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15923, 8 May 1912, Page 6

MAGISTERIAL.

■ CHRISTCHURCH. 1 '.I Tuesday, May 7. (Before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M.) Dbcnkenness. —A first offender for drunkonness was fined ss, ill default t wen tv-four hours’ imprisonment; and another, who had been drunk on the railway station, was fined 10s, in default forty-eight hours’ imprisonment. Ali.eoed Bicycle Theft. —Frank Goscomb, who had been remanded on the previous day in order to enable him to subpoena witnesses, appeared on a charge of having stolon a bicycle valued at £5. Mr Donnelly appeared for the accused, and called his wife, who appeared in the witness box in nn intoxicated condition, and whose evidence was consequently rejected by tlic Magistrate. Charles Maqiure stated that accused had received the bicycle in payment, of board from a man named Dunwiddie. The Magistrate said that, as there was a doubt as to the matter, the case would be dismissed. Unlicensed Printing.— James Cusack and John Robert Merriman, trading as Cusack and Merriman, for whom Mr Cassidy appeared, were charged with having failed to register a printing press and with having printed race cards without showing a Justice of the Peace a copy of a paper containing the name of their employer. Mr Cassidy pleaded guilty on the first charge, but on the second pleaded not guilty. Evidence was given by Inspector Kiely and by Constable Maloney.to the effect that the defendants had boen asked to produce a copy of the document and had refused. Mr Cassidy said that the Inspector had made a technical breach of the Act in asking for the manuscript and not the copy. The Inspector, recalled, denied this, and said that he had asked for the copy. Mr Cassidy then withdrew his plea of not guilty and pleaded extenuating circumstances. For the first breach the defendants were fined £lO and for the second £5, the minimum fines in each case. Illegal Betting. Frederick Unwin was charged with being illegally in the. street for the purpose of betting. Mr Donnelly, for accused* pleaded guilty, but stated that he was a. railway servant, and, being in Cashel Street, bad made a few casual bets with friends. Ho was a married man with a family, , and would probably lose his situation, , together with superannuation, as a result of the action. There was a substantial minimum penalty for this sort of thing, but, apart from this, the defendant would,be quite adequately punished. Ho asked for leniency, therefore. The Magistrate said that he would inflict the minimum penalty. The accused would be fined £2O atid costs, and given one week in which to pay the money."’ ? ’ Maintenance .—-Eiisabe th J oh nston was charged with failing to maintain an Industrial School inmate. She was ordered to pay 2s a week towards its support.—A maintenance order against Isabella Pengelly was cancelled. J and arrears were remitted. Norman Browne was charged with disobedience of an order requiring him to contribute to the support of his two children in a Government • institution. He was nominally sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, the. warrant to he suspended provided ho xiaid is a week to the support of each of the children.— Edward Browne, on a similar'charge in respect of three children, was similarly sentenced, the imprisonment to he suspended while he paid 2s Gd per week to tlio<support of each of them.— Richard James Sullivan, charged with disobedienco of a maintenance order in two cases, was ordered to continue paying 5s Der week in respect of each order. His application for cancellation of the order was dismissed.—William Johnston was charged with failing to maintain his mother. 'Mr F.'Wilding appeared for the accused and Mr Gresson' for"the plaintiff. The plaintiff stated that.her son was living in Wanganui with a woman to whom he was not married. She had made a ; journey-to find him, and had verified the truth of this statement. An order was made for tlio payment of 6s a week- v , .i Illegally on Premises. —Reginald Jagger was charged with having been on licensed premises, to wit the Provincial Hotel, after closing hours. MV Hunt appeared for .accused, and said that he was just over twenty-one and had not realised that he had been doing any ham. He was a most respectable young man. The Maeaetrate said that he was satisfied that this was correct and he would convict and discharge accused, insisting, however, that this should not be taken as a precedont. ,