MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 285, 30 October 1934, Page 5

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

BY-LAW CASES

Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., presided at a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court, yesterday, when by-law and miscellaneous cases were heard.

W. Bishop was charged with being an idle and disorderly person in that he had insufficient visible means of support. After hearing the evidence of Senior-Sergeant Whitehouse, who described accused as a vagrant, the Magistrate imposed a sentence of one month’s imprisonment with hard labour, stating that accused would be better out of the town during Show Week.

J. T. Werata appeared to answer three charges of having incurred certain debts for taxi hire of a total value of £1 14s 6d, by fraud, and of obtaining from Mrs Julia M. Hart board and lodging to the value of £2 5s by fraud. Accused elected to be dealt with summarily and pleaded guilty to all four charges. SeniorDetective Quirke stated that there was nothing previously known against accused, but he had been going round the country without paying his way. Sentence of a month’s imprisonment on each charge was imposed, the first three terms to be concurrent and the fourth cumulative.

For cycling at night without lights, Arthur Neil and George Siddels were each fiiied 10s and costs 10s, while Z. M. Petrie, for cycling on .the footpath, was fined the same amount, with Court costs 10s.

William Rudolph Stern was charged with having driven a motor vehicle in Rangitikei Street at a speed which might have been dangerous to the public. Mr Ongley explained that one of defendant’s children had met with an accident and he was hurrying her into a doctor, and admitted that he had travelled between 40 and 45 miles per hour. Defendant had never had an accident and was a careful driver. Further, he had not taken any undue risks. The Magistrate ordered defendant to pay the costs, 10s. John A. Borlace pleaded not guilty to discharging a firearm in Rolleston Street so as to endanger, annoy or frighten the passers-by. Mr Itowe, who appeared for defendant, claimed that the weapon—an air rifle—was not a firearm within the meaning of the Act, although there was no definite interpretation of the meaning of the word. The Magistrate, after perusing the Act, commented that it appeared as if the Act required amending. He stood the case down for a week to look into the matter. On finding that the adjournment would he heard on November 5 (Guy Fawkes Day) the Magistrate remarked that the date was appropriate. Wald Lewis was ordered to pay the Defence Department the sum of £1 9s 2d in payment of military clothing which had been damaged. Court costs amounted to 12s. George Mataki, who had failed to return the military equipment which had been issued to him, was ordered to pay the Defence Department the sum of £4 5s lid, the value of the equipment. For failing to deliver up his military equipment, H. H. Ford was convicted and ordered to pay 5s and Court costs 12s. Eric Purchase Anthony (Mr Yortt) was ordered to pay his wife, Winifred Anthony, los per week for the maintenance of his wife and os for his child, the first payment to be made on November 5. 1934.