LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11231, 28 November 1899, Page 7

LAW AND POLICE.

SUPREME COURT.—Criminal Sittings. (Before His Honor Mr. Justice Conolly.) The criminal sittings of the Supreme Court were concluded yesterday, before His Honor .Mr. Justice Conolly. Mr. J. A. Tole, Crown Prosecutor, had recovered sufficiently to attend, and conducted the cases for the Crown. ALLEGED THEFT. Frederick James Davidson was charged with the theft of £10 from W. Evans, at Waitckauri on August 31, and was further chared with having the money in his possession, knowing it to have been dishonestly obtained Mr, Fred Earl appeared on behalf'of tho prisoner, who pleaded not guilty. It was stated for the prosecution that the theft was committed at tho Hauraki Hotel, where prisoner and informant had been drinking together. They had two drink, and look a bottle of whisky upstairs to the room occupied by Davidson. Informant had 10 single notes on him at tho time, and 6omo silver, and prisoner suggested that ho should look after it, as Evans was drunk. Evans replied that ho was quite capable of looking after it himself. Evans was assisted to undress by Davidson, who took the money out of his pocket, but on the following day denied having it in his possession. Ho was searched by Constable Flavell, and the money was found in two separate rolls, in different pockets. Mr. Earl, for the defence, submitted that there was no thievish intent on the part of the prisoner, and that his suspicious action on the following day in denying having possession of tho money was duo to his muddled condition. If there was any reasonable doubt about tho prisoner * motives in taking the money, it was tho duty of the jury to give him tho benefit of it. His Honor said that tho question for them to decide was tho prisoner's intention in taking the money. Tliero was no -eason to doubt tho evidence of Constable Flavell in the matter, and, in fact, the prisoner himself did not deny it. He commented on tho fact that prisoner had placed tho money in different inside pockets in his clothing. Tho case appeared to him to be one of tho simplest that had ever come before him. Tho jury, after a short retirement, brought in a verdict of not guilty, and the prisoner was discharged. PERJURY. A young woman named Mary Walsh pleaded guilty to a charge of committing perjury on September 15, in li« caso police v. Mary Donley, by swearing falsely to tho offect that on September 5 she was in tho Eitzroy Hotel, and that Police-Constables Finley, Kemp, and Skinner were in tho hotel, and wore served with drinks by tho licence, si.d wero not sober, and I>y further swearing that flic constables went to tho house of Mrs. Dooley, where they were supplied with hop beer. Mr. Reed, 011 behalf of the prisoner, said ho could not ask His Honor to extend to her the provisions of the First Offenders Probation Act, but asked that she bo bound ever to come up for sentence when called upon. Tho police report :bowed that tho woman had previously been convicted of an assault on the police, and was addicted to drink. His Honor said the prisoner had done the right tiling by pleading guilty. It was a serious otfence to swear falsely, and he hoped that her conviction would be a lesson to her, and that she would mend her ways. Taking tho circumstances into consideration, lie would order her to find recognisances of £25 to come up for sentence when called upon. The Court then rose. POLICE COURT NEWS. Mr. H. W. Brabant, S.M., presided at tho Police Court yesterday. Drunkenness: For this offence, Bernard Anderson was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment. William John Morgan was fined ss, or 24 hours in default, and William Wear was ordered to forfeit 10s from his bail. Threatening Behaviour: Thomas Fletcher was charged with using threatening behaviour in Victoria-street, and pleaded guilty. As this was accused's first offence, His Worship cautioned accused strongly, and he was discharged. Remanded: George Covell was remanded till Friday next, 011 the application of Subinspector Wilson, on a charge of wilfully breaking a pane of glass, worth £15, the property of the Massej'-Harris Company, and also on a charge of breaking and entering the chop of the Massey-Harris Company, in Al-bert-street, and stealing fivo bicyclo lamps, worth £1 17s 6d. Dismissed: Charles Tucker was charged with assaulting Emma Bailer in Mount Eden Road, and also with using indecent language towards her. Chiof-Detcctivo Grace prosecuted. Tho complainant said that about nino p.m. 011 the 10th inst. sho was coming down Mount Eden Road with her daughter, and accused was sitting by tho side of tho road in company with another young man. Accused called out ,to her good-night, to which she did not reply. Accused then got up and caught her by tho arm, and asked her to go for a walk. She threatened to 6cream, when accused struck her 011 tho mouth and used foul language. Sho identified accused as the man who assaulted her, and did not know him, and gavo no provocation. The lad with accused pulled the ribbon off her daughter's hair, and spat in her face. Corroborative evidence was given by Clara Bailer. Accused denied having been in Mount Eden Road on tho night in question, and called evidence to that effect. His Worship said it was a pity that, the complainant did not take immediate steps to inform tho polico, and the result might havo been the production of better evidence. Constable Hinton. who had tho matter in hand, seemed to base tho charge against accused on the facts that accused frequented Mount Eden Road and complaints were being constantly received by tho polico about him, and also on tho complainant's bare statement. His Worship thought that taking the whole of the evidence together, he was not sufficiently satisfied that the accused was the man who had behaved in such a disgraceful manner, and did not think he could convict, and the ease would be dismissed. Obscene Language: Rangvald Osmundsen, a Norwegian, was fined 20s, or in default seven days' imprisonment, for using obscene language when drunk in Queen-street. Provoking Language: Benjamin Leonard was bound over to keep tho peaco for six months in his own recognisance of £20, and one surety of £20, on a charge of using provoking language towards John Selley, and ordered to pay costs, £1 18s.

A London paper states that the intimation by tho Corporation of St. Helens, Lancashire, that it will supply sterilised milk for infants at the price of twopence for nino bottles, each containing ono "feed," a supply sufficient for 24 hours, suggests to tho Hospital (hat it would be a good thing if tho milk trade reduced tho price of sterilised milk so that we might all uso it in place of tho doubtful stuff now brought to our doors. Perfect sterilisation of milk is in practice impossible, but partial sterilisation, by heating with steam at a high temperature, will destroy tho most dangerous disease germs. Anyone who wishes to know the dangors of drinking ordinary milk should read Dr. Airmail's "Milk: Its Nature and Composition.' of which a second edition has just been published by Messrs. A. and C. Black. It is of special interest to learn that reCent investigations go to show that the tomato possesses very considerable medicinal virtue. As a blood tonic tho juieo of the tomato has been found productive of excellent results. During the recent war with Spain, tho American", largely used an extract of tomatoes as a health preservative among certain sections of their troops. The use of the tomato in this connection was, accord ng to an Irish contemporary, the outcomo of some experiment; specially mado for the purpose, under the authority of the United States Government. MEDICAL OPINION. Ask your doctor what soap ho recommends for the skin and ho will uphold the opinion of tho highest medical authorities on the skin, viz., Dr. Redwood, Ph. D., F.C.S., F.1.C., the late Professor Sir Erasmus Wilson, Mr. John L. Milton, and Professor J. Attfiold, etc.. that Peaks' Soap is the best.