POLICE COURT.—Friday.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5364, 25 January 1879, Page 5

POLICE COURT.—Friday.

(Before R. C. Barstow, Esq., It.M.J Negligent Parent.—-Henry Mitchell was charged with failing to pay towards the support of his children in the Industrial School, and with being £15 17a in arrears. Ho admitted owing tho money. Mr. Pardy said tho man really owed £40, and had paid a shilling. He deserted his children on the Queen-street Wharf, and the police had to take charge of them. He now applied for a distress warrant. The warrant was ordered to issue, the defendant to be kept in custody until it was returned.

Assault. —Antonio Martin was charged with assaulting Christopher Grcenway, by striking him on the face. Mr. J. 15. Russell appeared for the defendant, anil pleaded not guilty. Mr. C. S. George, for the plaintifF, stated the case. Mr. Grcenway deposed that he did not know that ho was a gentleman, bat he was a dcalor in lands and mortgages. lie inet the defendant on Tuesday, the 7th Inst. Some earth had been placed against his fence on the previous day, and he complained to defendant of his boys having placed it there, and asked him to have it removed. Defendant made no reply, and he met him again in the afternoon, and again asked him to have the clay removed, upon which defendant struck him a back-handed blow with his fist across tho mouth. If ho had stood up fair he might have got the worst of it. Cross-ex-amined : He was not aware that there was any jealousy between them about their hotels iu Vicfcoria-streefc. lie did call defendant a black nigger after he had struck him. Defendant said, "Take that from a black nigger," as he struck him. He had no conversation with defendant on the last day of the year, and did not say to him," That big-headed brute (pointing to a boy) is yours." Martin told him, when he poiuted out the children to him, they were not his, but he denied having called the boy a bigheaded brute. Mr. Jtussell addressed the Court, and asked that both might be bound over to keop the peace. Defendant deposed he had been .*l3 years in Auckland, and had never previously been before the Court. Ho gave his version of the affair. The plaintiff had spoken of his boy as a big-headed brute, and called defendant a black nigger threo times before he struck him, when he said, "Take that from a black nigger." Every time Mr. Grcenway met him he insulted him. His Worship said, no doubt, great provocation had been given before the blow was struck. He would dismiss the case, and order each party to pay bis own costs. Lunacy.—Thomas George Butler was, on the medical certificates of Drs. Lee and Haines, ordered to be sent to the Lunatic Asylum,