LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11432, 24 July 1900, Page 3

LAW AND POLICE.

■■-."•;;...' :' : -;■'■;:, .♦., — : • - POLICE COURT NEWS. • 'Mr. H. 'W.'Brabrint, S.M., wtts'tho prosid* ing magistrate at the Police Court . yester- w; day. . • '•■■■■ Drunkenness: "Eliza i Lestrange, : for■.;■ ho;* ■'.'■•.■ eighth ioffence'■) nntliin sis -. months, -\ was Bentenced to a month's : hard labour. - Jamw Thomas Trueman.was fined'£2, or 14 days' hard labour, for being found .drunk while in charge 0 a horso and cart; f and Rout. Sullivan, 10 ?1 or 48 hours; for his second of- , fence. ",Xffo first offenders '.wore convicted ■.;:.-} and discharged. -« ""; A Seaman Before the Court: Charles Mai .£'■ lerstrom, a' seafaring■ man, pleaded guilty to i' ; being found by night without lawful excuse, % on July 22, board the v .Toinui. 'Johu'.,(i. Kneon, secretary of the Seamen's Union, gave/: tho man a good character, and said ho would \ try to find him a berth. . Hi? Worship de- •■: ferred sentence for H days, so that accused > might avail. himself of this offer. •• U ...Charge of Theft:VJohn Shannahan was , charged with stealing > three- shirts, tho pro- ».A;< perty of a person or persons unknown. Chief- : Detective Grace said tho man had just been arrested, and asked for a remand for a week, ' which was granted accordingly, Maintenance: John Green agreed to an order being made against him for tho education and maintenance- of his child in St. Mary's Industrial School. . '■'\ Sanitary ' Cases : Louis Millaiile' pleaded guilty to- a chargo of neglecting,-,to clean his private yard in Victoria-afreet; West. . The sanitary inspector (Mr. Turner) 'said the yard was in a filthy state, and His Worship imposed a fine of £2 and costs, 7s; in another chargo against Millante of placing a box of rubbish on tho footpath, a nominal fine of Is was imposed, as it appeared that ho did not know that he was breaking the by-law. Kobt. Hutchison was charged with allowing a privy to overflow in Basque Road. Defendant pleaded not guilty, defending the caso on,the .ground that the City Council contractor had neglected to supply a large pan. although he (defendant) had continually mado application for ono. He callod ovidonco to show that f he had ordered a large pan several months ago, and had been to tho contractor repeatedly about the matter. His Worship said the defendant had taken some precautions, and was not wholly to blame. In tho circumstances he would dismiss tho case.

(Before Mr. T.' Hutchison, S.M.) Alleged Illegal Sale of Liquor: William Grigg was charged that on May 22, .at Matakolio, ho disposed of liquor at a place where ho was not authorised, viz., at the Matakoho Wharf. On tho application of Sub-inspector Wilson, the hearing of tho case was adjourned till Monday next.

OTAHUHU POLICE COURT. Monday, July 23. (Before Messrs. S. Luke and T. C. P. WTiiteley, J.lVs.) Alleged Threatening and Provoking Language: Joseph Stone was charged by Frank Graff, with using insulting and provoking language to him in tho passage of the Criterion Hotel, Olahuhu, on July 12. Tho informant requested that tho defendant be required to find sureties to keep.tho peace towards him, Frank Graff. After hearing the evidence of tho informant, W. H. Patterson, William Copeland, Constablo Walker, Mrs. Stone, Mrs. Rowo, and tho defendant, Joseph Stone, the Bench dismissed the information.—[Own Correspondent.] PAPAKURA POLICE COURT. Thursday, July 19. (Before Messrs, J. H. Mailing and J. McLeiuian, J.P.'s.) Charge of Arson: An old man, who had been arrested, named Alexander Mcintosh, a labourer, single, owning a section of land and house in Papakura, was charged with sotting firo to his dwelling on the 11th inst. in two distinct places ; first, in tho roof, near the chimney, and, second, in a. room adjoining, with a view of defrauding the South British Insurance Company, who have a risk of £50 on the dwelling. Constablo George Foreman prosecuted. The accused was undefended. Mr. James McGuire, inspector of the South British Insurance Company, in his evidence, said that ho bad that morning seen the dwelling belonging to the prisoner and the two separate places that had been fired. He did not know tho accused, but he held a policy on his houeo in the company that the witness represents to the amount of £50. James Mack stated that he resided with his parents in Papakura. He knew the prisoner, and he know the houso that the prisoner lived in. He remembered Wednesday, the 11th inst. Ho was in company with Samuel Uro, on the Great South Road. Ho noticed a, firo in the accused's house. Mr! Ure and Witness ran,down to 'tho place. Accused was standing outside, looking on the flames coming through ' the roof. Witness said to accused: " Your house is on fire." Witness asked him for a bucket. He said it was down tho well. Witness' father then came, who assisted the young man Uro on to the roof, and tho fire was extinguished. When they were putting tin fire out the prisoner said, " The house is rotten; lot it burn." Ho then said, "I will not live there any mora." Witness and his comrades then went away,' Oil the same evening he saw a light in one of the backrooms. Ho was about 150 yds away from the house. Ho saw the prisoner's door open, and the prisoner breaking sticks and putting them on to the fire, that was close to the partition in one of the rooms where no fireplace is. Witness could see tho prisoner by the reflection of the fire. He then informed Constablo Foreman of what ho had seen. Tho constable returned with him. and with other assistance this fire was also put out. Three other witnesses, whoso evidenco was of young Mack's, were heard. When the prisoner was searched at the police station, tho policy and also the last receipt was in his pocket, and the bedding, bedstead, and all his tools, etc., were found in an outhcuse, about ono chain away from the fire. The case took tho whole day. Nothing could bo got out of the accused relativo to tho charge, only that he had been 20 years ii? Fapekura, and never brought before a ma"is Irate, and was 72 years of age; in fact,"if appeared indifferent to what was going on in Court. The accused was committed for trial at the next sessions of the Supremo Court.[Own Correspondent.]