Before the Court

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 69, 23 March 1937, Page 12

Before the Court

MAGISTRATE IMPOSES FINE, Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., presided at tho Palmerston North Magistrate's Court yesterday. SamueL To Matai, of Mangawhata, admitted going on to the Bulls racecourse while prohibited from attending race meetings.—Fined £2 with 10s costs. John Jesse Mansfield was fined 10s with 10s costs for driving a car without a license. Tom Ormsby, licensee of the Longburn hotel, charged with selling liquor after hours, was flued £2 with 10s costs. Ann Jane Ormsby was fined £5 with 12s costs for supplying liquor after hours. Those caught in the hotel after hours were Ivan Parkinsou (Tiakitahuna), W. Johnson (Longburn), R. M. Shirriffs (Longburn), S. Te Matai (Mangauhata), R. Long (Longburn), C. R. Rowland (Karere), S. J. Wood (Longburn), C. T. Stafford (Kairanga). Eacn was fined £2 with 12s costs. Gaol for Theft of Coat. A sentence of three month’s gaol was imposed upon Wm. Baker for the theft of an overcoat valued at £5 10s, from a room in a Palmerston North boardinghouse. Senior-Sergeant Mclntyre stated that the owner of the coat happened to be sitting in a car when he saw Baker approaching and wearing the missing coat. Accused was hailed and offered the owner the coat lor 30s. The police were informed and Baker arrested. Accused had a long list of previous convictions including assault and robbery, breaking, entering and theft and in December last had been released from gaol after serving for 7 years. Twice had he been declared an habitual criminal. Baker declared he must have been “boozed’' at tho time if that was any excuse, Mr Stout: I don’t think it is; three months gaol. Maintenance Cases. Albert John Havill in arrears with maintenance due his wife to the amount of £8 16s 6d and maintenance due to his children to the extent of £7 Cs, was sentenced to one mouth’s gaol, the warrant to be suspended so long as defendant complies with both orders and pay's £1 a week off the arrears. D. A. Conder, of Marton, will go to gaol for 3 months unless he pays immediately £22 10s arrears of maintenance duo his wife.

Speaking for Mrs Conder, Mr A. M. Ongley intimated that defendant was defying the order. Conder had collected insurance moneys from a house fire and had bought a motor car.

Defendant declared that he had bought the car before the order was made.

Mr Stout: You could have sold it and paid w r hat is due. What about the insurance moneys? Defendant: I bought the car with it. His Worship: You will go to gaol unless you pay up immediately. Boardinghouse Squabble.

Charges of using indecent language and assaulting Daniel Wouldes were preferred against Sydney Harris, bushman, of Foxton, who pleaded not guilty. Wouldes gave evidence to the effect that Harris called for board and lodgings w'hich was refused as Harris had been at the boardinghouse some two years before and had slipped away early in the morning without paying. Accused had then become hostile, used obscene language, and struck witness a blow on the face.

To Mr F. G. Opie, who appeared for accused, witness denied that he had been the first to precipitate the trouble by getting Harris by the nose. Daniel O’Sullivan gave corroborative evidence.

Defendant gave evidence to the effect that when Wouldes had pulled his nose he had retaliated by smacking his face. Words had been used but as they were in the passage and only talking quietly, they could not have been heard by anyone in the street. His Worship believed Wouldes’ story and fined Harris £2 10s on each charge with 28s costs. An alternative of 14 days’ gaol was fixed. Separation Granted. Verina Scott was granted a separation from Blyth Leslie Scott, labourer, of Palmerston North, on the grounds ot persistent cruelty and drunkenness. In evidence Mrs Scott said her husband had been a drinker ever since she married him 16 years ago. Recently he had taken to thrashing her. Twice had he been arrested for drunkenness and three prohibition orders had been taken out. He had been drunk since Wednesday last and had sacked’’ himself from his employment. Every time he returned home drunk he “took to her’’ and it would be out of the ordinary if

a week went past without him being the worse of liquor. There were five children the eldest of whom was aged 15. A son aged 12 corroborated his mother’s evidence. Maintenance was fixed at £1 a week for the wife and 5s a week for each of the four children at home.

Son Ordered to Help Mother. Woman Deserted by Husband.

An unusual case of a mother seeking a court order that her son should contribute to her maintenance, came before Mr J. C. Stout, S.M., in the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Petitioner was Mary Jane Hunter (Mr Lovell), of Palmerston North, and defendant Wm. Hunter, freezing works hand, of Johnsonville (Mr G. I. McGregor).

In evidence petitioner said she was 59 years of age. Her husband deserted her in 1925 in England. Two years later she came to New Zealand with her two sons. A married daughter was then already in New Zealand. She bad been in ill-health for some time and was now required to go into hospital for an operation. It was seven weeks since she had done any work and had no income except what her other son James gave her.

To Mr McGregor Mrs Hunter said her husband was in Scotland. She had heard from him with a promise that he would try and “scrape up” enough to get her back to a home in Scotland. She had worked in fairly good positions in New Zealand. All her husbands previous promises had failed. She was

not prepared to go and live with her daughter who was not altogether too kind to her.

Mr McGregor intimated that defendant was prepared to contribute if his mother would go and live with the daughter. He was married with one child and ran a small farm at Johnson - ville, the income from which did not amount to £1 a week. During the freezing works' season he found employment and his annual return from that source brought his incomo to about £2 a week. The father was probably in a position to keep the mother and maintenance proceedings should first bt taken in that direction.

The Magistrate: What is his age? Mrs Hunter: Sixty-four. Counsel said the husband was in a substantial position in India at out time and probably had a pensfjn. Mrs

Hunter should not be us destitute as she was as she had been in good positions in the last 10 years. The daughter was prepared to look after petitioner when she came out of hospital. Defendant gave evidence as to his meuns stating that last year he had earned £147 as wages iu the freezing works while tho returns from the 10 acres he leased did not pay the rent. He came to New Zealand with his mother 10 years ago and had not been dependent on her, but if he could manage it, he would try and contribute to his mother’s board if she went to live with his sister in Palmerston North. The section he was on was gorse country.

His Worship thought defendant had better pay what his brother was contributing, namely, JOs a week.