LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9830, 27 May 1895, Page 3

LAW AND POLICE.

POLICE COURT.— Saturday. ■-" i (Before Messrs. F. L. Prime and H. WJM&* J.P.'s.) Drunkenness. — Two first offenders were each /fined ss, and Mary Jane Alexanii ;r, for a second offence within six months, was C given the option of a fine of 10a or 24 hoars'. hard labour. Alleged Larceny.— middle-aged man * named Henry Sloan was remanded to this 30th inst. on charge of stealing a quantity of clothing from the Hobson Hotel. Mr. G. N. Brassey appeared for the acetified, and asked for bail, which was granted. Alleged Assault.— young man named John Quinn appeared to answer to a charge of having, on the 7th inst., assaulted one Thomas Foley, with intent to do him actual bodily harm. Mr. Cotter appeared for the accused, wbilsb Sergeant Gamble prosecuted. Mr. J. R. Lundon watched the proceedings on behalf of Mr. Foley. The case had been partly heard on the previous Wednesday, when the case was adjourned in order to secure the fattendance of Mr. W. Stimpson, licensee of the Queen's Ferry Hotel, at which place the assault was said to have been committed. Mr. Stimpson gave evidence to the effect that the parties concerned in tha case were in his hotel on the evening of the 7th instant. Foley and a man named Smith were quarrelling, and a disturbance arising, -... witness on two occasions put Smith oat of the hotel. Quinn was doing his utmost to reconcile the parties, and took no part in the quarrel. Quinn did not at any time strike Foley. Ellen Elley, barmaid and • housemaid in the Queen's Ferry Hotel, said that after the fight between Foley and Smith had been put a stop to by Mr. Stimpson, and Smith had been put out of the hotel, Foley went over to Smith and said, "I know your push," and put his hands on Quinn. The latter said, "I won*b fight with you," and sat on the table with his hands in his pockets. Foley then rushed at Quinn, caught him by the coat, and hit him in the face with bis fist. Witness next heard a crash of glass, and saw the table with the decanter and a glass of flowers knocked over, and Stimpson and another, whom' she thought was Quinn, on the floor. When . Foley gob up he had a cut on the back of ' the head. By Mr. Cotter : Throughout the whole of the quarrel Quinn appeared to be the maker, and not the peace-breaker. Foley turned on Quinn because he had. prevented him from "going" for Smith. James Grainger and Michael Keenan, cab-drivers*, also gave evidence. Mr. Cotter addressed the Bench on the evidence submitted. He* . contended that, there was not the slightestevidence to .show that Quinn was guilty oft any assault. lb was quite possible, hethought, that the wound had been caused by the upsetting of the table, as the bottle was standing on it before the row commenced, or that it was caused by someone else' who came into the room whilst the quarrel was going on. The Bench con- ' sidered thab there was no case for ths accused to answer, and he was therefore discharged. .