S.M. Court.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8144, 18 November 1905, Page 5

S.M. Court.

PALMERSTON—SATURDAY,

(Before Mr A. D. Thomson, S.M.) VAGRANCY.

James Power (Mr V. Baldwin) wag charged, on remand, with being a rogue and a vagabond having no Tawful visible means of support. He intimated that he desired to withdraw his previous plea of not guilty and substitute that of guilty instead. Mr Baldwin said that his client had been remanded from time to time and was now unable to- get his witnesses to come along. Therefore lie had altered the plea. He then went on to refer to the fact that his client hadbeen kept in the lock-up for some time but the S.M. reminded him that the man was serving a term, of imprisonment.

Sergeant Stagpoole produced a list of previous convictions against accused. This led the S.M. to remark that it really appeared that the man had been more often in prison than out of it. He was of opinion that it did not seem to be of any use for the Court to be leiueut with such a man. He would be convicted and sentenced te\ six mouths' hard labour. V,. MAINTENANCE. ' On the information of Sarah Madden .(Mr Moore) Assad Bahout (Mr V. Baldwin) was charged with disobeying an order of the Court by which he had to contribute 10s per week to the support oE his wife. Accused was remanded from the 14th inst., being out on bail. Mr Moore said that they wanted some security that the man would pay up regularly, as they had had trouble in getting the money on other occasions.

Mr Baldwin said that the defendant's action on the present occasion in refusing to pay was the result of legal advice. Mrs Bahout had left the district six months ago and his client could not find out :where she was, though it was thought she was.in Australia. H? submitted that -\yhen a person voluntarily left the jurisdiction of the Court he or she was not entitled to payment under an order of that Court. He considered that the present one was a case where the Court could exercise its power and cancel the order altogether. The S.M. intimated that he thought there was something in the point and he would like to hear argument on it. Mr Moore said that the woman was still the man's wife even if she was out of the colony. He could find no authority in support of the contention that she was compelled to remain here, and pointed out that it made no differ-' ence to Bahout where she lived. He went on to point out that the woman had daughters in Sydney who were supporting her there and that it was unreasonable to suppose that she would stay here where she only got the 10s per j week, but the S.M. said it was not a case for argument on the merits in that way. He was convinced there was something in the point raised, and would therefore adjourn the case until Monday week for argument. It was quite possible that if a person chose to go beyond the jurisdiction of the "Court it would debar her from obtaining benefit from the order. THEFT. A young man named Joseph Daly was charged with stealing, on October 26th, at Motoa, a suit of clothes, a pair of boots, a white shirt and a white silk handkerchief of a total value of £6 7s 6d, the property of E. G. Huick, such being an indictable offence. He elected to be tried summarily, and entered a plea of guilty. Accused was then charged with the theftj at the same time and place, of a watch valued at £5, the property of Alex Drummond; of watch and chain valued at £8 12s 6d belonging to George Baker; and also of a rolled gold watch worth 80s, a white metal chain worth Is 6d, and a silver medal worth 15s, tho property of Leonard Carter. He entered the same-plea of guilty on each charge. On being asked if he wished to say anything, he told the S.M. that lib was only 20 years old and was just beginning to realise the sort of life he had been leading. He now wished to atone for . his paat misdeeds and make a new start! in life and therefore asked the S.M. to be as lenient as possible with him.

The Sergeant stated that the prisoner had been given work by Mr Easton and had been taken to the place where the other men were camping. While the latter were away he had taken the articles.

The S.M. said that prisoner's past record was a very bad one. He hoped that the prisoner would keep to his present opinion as to the sort of life he had been leading, which could only result, if he kept it up, in bringing" him lower and lower. This could not be treated as a first offence. He hoped that when prisoner came out of jail he would still be of the same opinion that that sort of life was no good and that the game was not worth the candle. He would be sentenced to six months' imprisonment on each charge.