LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6096, 1 June 1881, Page 6

LAW AND POLICE.

! POLICE COURT—Tcesbat. [Before E. C. Barstow, Esq., K.M.] Drunkenness. — Anne Swift was charged with this offence. There were several previous convictions against her. She was also charged with being a confirmed drunkard. Sentenced to nine montlis' imprisonment with hard labour. Elizabeth Spiers was charged .with being drunk. There were several previous convictions against her. Sentenced to seven days' imprisonment with hard labour. James Halliday was fined os, or twenty-four hours' imprisonment for being drunk. Stealing a Rat-tkap. —Henry S Jades and Sydney Wardle, two lads about thirteen years of age, were charged with this offence. Constable H. Clarke said that complaint was made to him on Saturday of a rat-trap having been stolen from the Industrial Home. Witness made inquiries, which induced him to find out Wardle, The prisoner Wardle admitted that he had been to the Industrial School, but that the boy Slade took the trap, and asked him to say nothing about it. The trap was subsequently found in the Western Park. Jamss Lindsay proved that the trap belonged to the school. George P. Hogan, j master of the Home, gave similar evidence. i The prisoners said they bought the trap for I the sake of the elastic that was on it. Hl3 Worship said the prisoners ought to be well punished. They must have known that the 1 value of the trap was greatly in excess of the iw pence they gave for it. He discharged them for the present, but if they eame before the Court again they would most certainly be punished, Pkttx Robbery John Edwards wa3 charged with stealing a shirt, value 10s, from Judith Kelly, of' 'Imo" Cottage, Barrack Hill. The prosecutrix said the article (pro» duced) was hanging out to dry,, opposite to her cottage. She missed it, but knew nothing about the prisoner, or. how the article was taken away. Michael Burke said he was a dealer, living in Abercrombiestreet. The prisoner came to him, and offered the shirt; for sale. Witness bought it. It was wet at the time. Williain BeaL a dealer in Wellesley-street East, said the prisoner brought the shirt to his shop, and offered to sell it for a shilling. It was then in a wet state. The offer to sell was made to witness's wtfe. The prisoner said he was "hard up" for a drink. Witness would not purchase. The prisoner said he was in the horrors of drink when "he did it: it was the drink that did it." His Worship said that the prisoner had once had a good character, but lie .was fast becoming a professional thief. Sentenced to six months' imprisonment. Breach of Public Wouks Act.—John Haslett was charged with this oSence, by running a ballast engine on the Auckland and Kaipara Railway. Mr. Brookfield appeared for the railway authorities; Mr.. J. A. Tole appeared for the defendant. James I Leech, station-master at tile Whan, deposed I to the hour at which 'the ballast engine passed that station. John Brett, guardsman, and R. Robinson gave similar evidence. Mr. Macdonald,' General Manager of District Railways, deposed that running &- truck without authority would be dangerous. Special trains and passenger trains were constantly passing to and fro. Mr. Tole said the question was not whether the particular act would be dangerous, but whether what was really done was dangerous. The wit-, ness so id that on the day in question the last train in the morning was 10.30 a.m.; there was no train afterwards until 5 p.m. ..The witness gave contractors authority to run over particular parts of the line. They were at liberty to run over the line to that extent. They had authority to run into town on Saturdays. There was no special train on the day in question. His Worship thought the section of the Act should be read strictly, and the question was whether there was actual danger from the act done ; or, in other words, whether it was dangerous. The complaint was dismissed.—A similar case was on the list against John Taylor, contractor, but it was withdrawn. Assault.—Henry McGinn was charged with violently assaulting his wife, Mary Anne McGinn, on the 24th of May. Mr. E. Cooper appeared far the complainant. The complainant deposed that he boxed her ears, then c-aught her arms and wrung them behind her back; pushing her bodily down. She was in fear of the prisoner. She had had him before the Bench on two previous occasions, and begged him off. She wished to be protected against the prisoner. She was prepared to maintain the children. She did not want a penny from the prisoner. The prisoner said his wife was drunk. He wanted a tidy house. Mary Ann Lockwood said she was a neighbour for three years, and never saw Mrs. McGinn the worse for drink. The prisoner offered himself as a witness. He said his wife was a jealous-minded woman. The assault commenced at first without any harm being meant. She began to kick his shins. His Worship said tho complainant was entitled to the protection she sought. The prisoner must pay a fine of os, also the costs of the Court 11s, also the costs of counsel £2 2s, be bound in his own recognisances of £20 and find two sureties in like amount to keep the peace towards his wife and al . Her Majesty's subjects for six calendar months. Assault.—G. H. Leaning was charged with assault.—John Higgmbothan said he was a commission agent. He was collecting business for the defendant. He brought his account to the defendant, who called him a b scoundrel. A witness named MeGinley said he heard the altercation between the complainant and the defendant. He heard some "outrageous" names bein<* called. The defendant drew the attention of the Bench to the circumstance that . there was no charge against him of using bad language. The -witness in answer to a question from the defendant said complainant called him a d liar. The defendant said he merely pushed the complainant out of his way. The complaint was dismissed 1