LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4901, 1 August 1877, Page 3

LAW AND POLICE.

POLICE COURT-—Tuesday. [Before R. C. Barstow, Esq., B. 11. J A Notorious Character. — Mary McManns was charged with being a rogue and vagabond, and a common prostitute, and also "with having behaved in a riotous manner in Queen-street. The offence was proved, and a sentence or twelve months' imprisonment, with hard labour, dealt out. She was removed from the dock, using glibly very unseemly language. Petty Theft.—.Robert Miller was charged with stealiug a rug, worth 30s, the property of William Parquhar, master of the s.s. lona. 'lhe prisoner pleaded guilty. He said that on the day iii question he was under the influence of liquor, and desiring to Hee a friend, who was steward of the lona, he went into the cabin of that vessel. Here he found his friend lying asleep, and intended to play him a trick, when a person, whom he had not perceived, asked him what he was doing, and, on attempting an explanation, gruflly told him to be gone. Sub-Inspector Pardy said the steward bad told an entirely different story, and, in order that his evidence might be procured, he would ask that the case be adjourned till Saturday.—Adjourned accordingly.

Alleged Larceny.—Samuel Fairweather was brought up on remand, charged with stealing a number of carriage springs, a set ot joints for hood of carriage, a dashboard, &c., worth in all about £4, the property of one John Jeffrey. Mr. Tyler appeared for the prisoner, and pleaded not guilty. John Jeffrey deposed : He was a coaciibuilder, and resided in Newton. In January last he let a building that ho had used as his workshop to the accused, who intended to start a smithy. The building contained a number of articles —s niugletrees, carriage springs, dashboards, &c., the use of which he gave the prisoner, instructing him, however, not to dispose of any of them without his (witness's) consent. At different times he had visited the prisoner's shop, and, requiring some of the articles he (witness) had left there, looked for them, but in vain. The prisoner denied all knowledge of their whereabouts. Shortly afterwards he (witness) went to the coach-building establishment of Mr. Maekie, and there discovered the missing articles. [The articles were here produced and identified.] —Frederick Fuirweather deposed as to Belling the articles to Mr. Maekie at his brother's (the prisoner's) request, and Mr. Maekie depostd as to purchasing them for about 255. Detective Grace deposed ho had enumerated to the prisoner the articles before the Court, and asked if he knew anything about them. The prisoner replied in the negative, and asserted further that he did not believe they had ever been in the shop. Thomas Cotterill was called for the defence, and gave evidence as to a statement made by the prosecutor to the effect that he had told the prisoner he could use the old scraps he had left in the shop. George Praser (b'raser and Tinue) and John Smith gave the prisoner a high character for honesty and truthfulness. His Worship said he would have felt less difficulty in dealing with the case if the prisoner had endeavoured to use the alleged stolen articles in the operations of his trade, but there had not been a word said as to any right to sell them. There was a doubt in his mind, a very sm»ll doubt, however, as to whether the prisoner had correctly understood the permission granted him. He would give him the benefit of the doubt, and he might Bay he was induced to do so from the excellent character given him by Messrs. Fraaer and Tinue. He hoped the narrow escape the prisoner had had would prove a warning to him in the future, and lead him to refrain from dealing with or converting to his own use anything the ownership of which he did not feel certain about. The ease was dismissed. Pugilistic Display.—Henry Barstow and John Carroll were charged with a breach of the Vagrant Act Amendment Act, behaving conducted themselves on Sundaj evening in a manner whereby a breach of the peace was occasioned. Barstow pleaded guilty, and Carroll not guilty, The charge having been proved by the evidence of two witnesses, the prisoners were ordered to pay each a fine of £10 and costs, or in default to undergo three months' imprisonment with hard labour, A second charge of a similar nature was withdrawn.

PAPAKURA K. M. COURT.— Monday. [Bef"r»; Thomas Jackson, Esq., R.M.J Trespass on" the Railway. — Alexander Grant was charged with allowing eight head of cattle to trespass on the railway line at I'ukekohe. Ho pleaded not guilty of any offence. Mr. Lyons, the ganger, and Mr. Crosbie, the inspector of the line, were examined by Sub-Inspector Pardy, and deposed that the part of the line on which the trespass was committed'ran through defendant's fnrm ; that it was fenced the whole length on one side, and only partially so on the other; that there was a cattle stop to prevent Mr. Grant's neighbours' cattle getting on the line, but nothing to prevent Mr. Grant's cattle doing so from the unfenced portion of his farm ; and the Government had made a private crossing at the unfenced portion of Grant's farm. Case dismissed. GA.Mm.ixo in a Hotel.—Thomas Hollywood, landlord of the Globe Hotel, pleaded guilty to having allowed a raffle to take place in the Globe Hotel, contrary to section 42 of the Auckland Licensing Act, 1871. Sub-Inspector l'ardy said he would not press for a heavy penalty in this case. He hoped it would be a warning to other publicans. The Court inflicted a line of 40s aud lis Gd costs, and said that in an}'future cases a heavy penalty would be inflicted— tho extreme penalty is £20. Assault and Threatening Language.— Dalton v. Cathcart, assault, and Cathcart v. Dalton, threatening language. There was no appearance of either parties, and the cases were adjourned till next Court day. The constable was instructed to intimate to the parties that if they were not in attendance on the 13th August, warrants would be issued for them. Civil Case.—Strain v. White : Claim, £50, an excess of £27 being abandoned to bring the case within the jurisdiction of the Court. The claim was divided into three counts, £21 being claimed for wages from Ist October, 1870, to 21st July, 1871. To this claim the Statute of Limitations was pleaded, t26 10s was for falling 13J acres of bush, and f2 10s cash lent. Defendant admitted liability for 5 acres, at £2 per acre, but alleged that the SJ acres had been felled by plaintiff under a belief that the bush was his own, and his mistake was only found out when tbe boundaries of his land were laid down by the surveyor. Mr. Hesketb appeared for the defendant, and after a deal of evidence, the Court gave judgment for plaintiff for £20 ; costs, £4 4s.