POLICE COURT.—Thursday.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4254, 2 July 1875, Page 3

POLICE COURT.— Thursday.

[ Uefore T. Beckbam. E*q., K.M.3 Drunkenness.—Six persons were punished for this olTence. Isueckncy.—Mary Breeze was charged, under the Vagrant Act, with using obscene and indecent language in Victoria street on tho Ist of July. The defendant pleaded guilty, and was lined 40s and costs, with the alternative of fourteen days' imprisonment ■with hard labour. Neolkotku Children's Act.—Mary Barstow, a child aged 10 years, whose mother was committed to gaol on a charge of. vagrancy on Wednesday last, was sent to St. Mary's Orphanage for a term of five years. L-vkcenv.—Thomas W. lioulton, William McDonald, and William Sullen alias Sntton were charged with stealing £12 in money, the property of James Dodd, at Dairy Flat, on the 25tli instant. Upon the application of Inspector IJroV.m, the prisoner was remanded until Friday. Vagrancy.—Eliza McQuinn was charged with being a rogue and a vagabond, with having no lawful visible means of support, and having been threo times convicted of drunkenness. Mr. Broham stated that the prisoner' had undergono six years' imprisonment, having been convicted more than sixty times. Tho prisoner admitted the charge, but said that every conviction had been for drunkenness, and pleaded g earnestly for mercy, and promised to reform. Inspector Bruiiam said that as the prisoner pleaded so earnestly, she might really mean to try and reform ; and if the Bench allowed him he would withdraw the charge. Tho charge was then withdrawn, with tho permission of tho Bench. Ciiaroe of Attempted Suicide.—John Hunter wiis brought up, on remand, charged with attempting to commit suicide. The facts of tho case, n-nd the argument for tho defence, were heard on Wednesday last. His Worship having admonished tho prisoner, said : I have looked into the particular cases quoted by Mr. Joy yesterday, and find that they coincide in a remarkable way vrith the present one. It appears in tho caso Regina v. Moore, that the prisoner (a woman charged with having attempted to commit suicide) and her husband had a violent ([iirrc], and that a person living in tho same iiouf , ;, in order to prevent them from Ighung, put tho woman out of tho hovse into a garden attached to it. There was a well thirty-eight feet deep in the garden, and tho prisoner declared that as she had been thrust out of the house eho would throw herself down the well, and forthwith did so. Assistance, however, being at hand, she was got out without much injury. The witness who proved these facts stated that at the tinio the prieonct was so drunk as not to know ■what she -was about, and Chief Justico Jervis said, "Tf the prisoner was so drunk as not to know what she was about, how can you say she intended to destroy herself ?" and the verdict returned was " Not guilt j." His Worship then discharged the prisoner. The prisoner thanked his Worship, to which he responded by saying that the prisoner had to thank his counsel, Mr. Joy, for it was by his ingenuity in getting up the case that the prisoner had obtained his discharge.