POLICE COURT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1705, 20 December 1919, Page 5

POLICE COURT.

Mr J. L. Stout,, S.M., presided at tho sittings of the Police Court' this morning, hie first offender for.drunkenness was fined Hw while another was fined 20s, in dofault 48 hours' imprisonment. ALLEGED INSUFFICIENT MEANS OP SUPPORT. '

A youth named Joseph Henry Lewis was -■barged -with being ah idle-and disorderly j rson in that ho had insufficient lawful nouns of support.' ■ \ '• U l Detective-Sergeant Quirke, who prose eted, stated that accused was' before the '"'promo Court on - 13th;'November c-n hargoi of housebreaking and theft, and had 1 Jen relased on certain conditions Unit iniiided that he should be of good behaviour md,should obtain work, but up to tho time jf his arrest on 16th December he hud only lone about throe days’ work and had been Idling about the town. * Constable Ferguson deposed to having arrested accused on thoT6th inst. During the last month ho had noticed accused continually about the streets day and night, and had 'inly known him to do three days’ work during that time. He had been previously warned to obtain work, having been seen in the company of a convicted thief. When iTreated accused did not possess any money. Constable Culloty deposed that orNovember 13th accused was convicted'' at the Supremo Court for housebreaking and theft; Ho was released on condition that he obtained employment and Was of good behaviour. Accused had been loafing about town, and had only worked from November 27th to December Ist at a flaxmill. Witness had cautioned accused that ho should find work. It would be easy enough for accused to do so, but he was too lazy to work.

Detective-Sergeant Quirke deposed that accused was able to work but would not lo so. Instead of earning money for himself ho wont to his mother for sixpences and millings occasionally. The police would have been only too willing to have helped iccused to retrieve his past. Accused, giving evidence, stated that since '-is discharge from tho Supremo Court oil 13th November up to tho time of his arrest on December 16th he had earned about £4. To could have got a job at £3 5s por week, paying 25s per week for board, but ho did not consider that was sufficient. Ho had not borrowed more than 10s from his mother since he was released.

In reply to the Magistrate, accused said is mother was a widow with three other

children and did charing work. His Worship said ho would consider the matter, and remanded accused until Monday morning. DISORDERLY BEHAVIOUR.

Patrick Dean pleaded guilty to a charge of behaving in a disorderly manner while drunk. Senior-Sergeant Fraser explained that accused war making himself a nuisance last night and ended up by throwing the vegetables out of a Chinaman’s caxt. A fine of 40s was imposed. FALSE FIRE ALARM.

Three youths named J. H. Lewis (aged 18 years), V. McGloyn (18), and R. Wilkins [l7) were charged with wilfully causing a false alarm to bo given on Sunday night last to the Palmerston North Fire Brigade. The two first named pleaded guilty, and Wilkins pleaded not guilty. • Detective-Sergeant Quirke, who conducted tho prosecution, said that the message to the fire brigade came from a" slot telephone and the brigade turned out and discovered that it was a false alarm.

W. El. Barnard, superintendent of the lire brigade, deposed that on Sunday night a message was received that there was a fire in Cook street, but although tho brigade turned out there was no fire. Tho seriousness of the affair wits in the fact that a fire might have taken place while the brigade was away. Every time the -brigade turned out entailed an expense on the Fire Board. Tho brigade had previously received a false alarm from the same slot telephone as tho message came from this time. C. W, Abbott, an auxiliary member of tho fire brigade, doposisl that in consequence of a message received by telephone tho brigade turned out on Sunday night last. Detective Sergeant Quirke deposed that

Lewis and McGloyn. admitted to him that they were in company witli the third accused when tho brigade Was rung up to say there was a fire'in .Cook street. Accused Wilkins, giving evidence, said that he was in company with the other youths but did not touch the telephone. The message • was given by Lewis. He (Wilkins) had only been in Palmerston North a short time, and knew very few of tho streets.

McGloyn deposed that'Wilkins first of all rang up the brigade, and that Lewis gave the messagd over the telephone.' Ills Worship said ho had decided to convict the three of tho accused. Lewis, who had a lecord. would bo sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment, and the other two would be fined 10s and 12s costs each. His Worship pointed out that accused were liable to a fine of £SO or a month’s imprisonment. If this sort of tiling went on there was not going to bo any fine. THEFT AND LANGUAGE.

John Shelley pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a pair of boots at Shannon, value 403, the property oi W. H. Gunning, and also to a charge of using obscene language at Shannon. Senior-Sergeant Fraser said that yesterday afternoon accused took the boots from Mr Gunning's shop at Shannon, and when lie was chased and caught, he used the obscene language. Accused was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment for theft, and to 14 days for the obscene language, the sentences to bo concurrent. i