POLICE COURT.—Wednesday.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 3603, 29 May 1873, Page 3

POLICE COURT.—Wednesday.

[Before Thomas Beckham, Esq., R.M.] Deunkennkss. —Four persons were punished fur this offence, and James Quigley, for being drunk and disorderly, was fined 20s and costs. Vageant Act. —Bridgot Hawkey, for using obscene language in Chancery-street, on the evening of the 27th iust., was fined £10 and coats, or in default to be imprisoned for three months with hard labour. Fourign Seamen's Act.—Jeremiah Callaghan was charged by Mr. White, the American Consul, with having deserted from the whaling ship Kainbow. The Amerioan Couaul stated that the defendant had shipped to join the ship Rainbow at the Bay of Islands, and had failed to comply with his agreement. The prisoner was remanded until Monday next. Vaobakt Act. —Francis McKenna was charged with a breach oftho above Act, by making use of obscene language at the Harp of Erin Hotel, on the 15th inst. Mr. J. B. Russell defended the prisoner, and Inspector Broham prosccuted. William Luudon, landlord of the Harp of Erin Hotel, and Johanna Lundon, his wife, haying given their evidence, the case was withdrawn. Assault. —The same defendant was also charged by Wm. Lundon with assaulting him on the 15th inst. Wm. Lundon deposed that the assault consisted in the defendant seizing hold of him by the shoulder and pulling him about, he (the prosecutor) being at the time ▼ery ill. The defendant was one of a party of oil men who were in pursuit of a woman who had absconded from her husband with I another man, and the defendant and party were under the impression that they were being concealed in the Harp of Erin Hotel, and this was why they eDtored the premises. They afterwords found that they were mistaken. The defendant represented hhneelf to be a detective, and demanded to nee the licence. The witness was cross-examined at grfnt length by Mr. Russell. Johanna Lun- ' dju, wile lo last witness, gave evidence of a

similar character to that mentioned above. Ellen Kelly, who was in the employ of the prosecutor at the time, deposed that the conduct of the defendant and hiß party was very violent. The defendant said that he was a detective, but refused to produce his authority. He asked for the licence to tear it up. All the people in the room were quiet with the exception of the defendant. Wm, Cressey, a labourer in the employ of Mr. I/undon, deposed that be was working in the garden of the Harp of Erin Hotel on the loth. He heard the prisoner using very bad language to Mrs. Lundon. This was the ease for the proseoution. Mr. J. B. Russell addressed the Court for the defence, and drew the attention of the Court to several discrepancies in the evidence for the prosecution, and called Matthew Whytlaw, who deposed that on the 15th instant he was in company with the defendant at the Harp of Erin Hotel. They were in the bar. Mrs. Lundon came into the bnr, when Bhe was asked politely if certain parties were there, aud she answered " No." Three others then came into the bar. Some of them went to the back of the hotel. The case was here adjourned until this (Thursday) morning, as his Worship had another case to attend to. LtracACT.—The woman (Mary Inkstan) who was found by the police in a very excited state, on the wharf, at an early hour on Wednesday morning, was brought up. Mr. Broham, said that the woman was subject to fits, and whilst in one of these she had run down to the wharf. Tho fits were brought on by the ill-treatment of her husband. His Worship, in dismissing the woman, recommended her to make a complaint to the police in future, and she would no doubt be protected by them.