LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11546, 4 December 1900, Page 7

LAW AND POLICE.

SUPREME COURT.— Civil Sittings. The civil sittings at the Supremo Court wore commenced before His Honor Mr. Juotico Ccnolly yesterday forenoon. . AN ADJOURNED CASE. George Rixon (Mr. Baume) v. -Auckland Gas Company (Mr. Buddie): i Claim, £250, Jiunager. for injuries received. Tho case was adjourned until next session. CLAIM FOB damages by FIRE. Hug' l Evans sued Edward Garland for £508, the estimated value of a house end furniture destroyed by firo at Awhitu. MrT Cotter, instructed by Mr. M. G. McGregor, appeared for plaintiff, and Mr. Theo. Cooper for defendant. The , statement of claim showed that the case was the outcome of a dispute between two sottlers at Awhitu. The plaintiff claimed that tho defendant, who had been clearing bush, had lit a fire, which hfcd fpread to Evans' property and destroyed his house. The defendant contends that Garland was not to blame, but that tho fire which destroyed Evans' house was lit on plaintiff's properly. Evidence in support of the claim was given by the plaintiff, Mrs. Jane Cunningham, and other witnesses ••egarding the cause of (he fire. Mid.the value of tho furniture. As a large number of witne'sos b.iyc vet to be heard on both sides, tho case will probably lest for several days. POLICE COURT NEWS. Mr. T. Hutchison, S.M., presided at the Police Court yesterday. Drunkenness : For this offence Robert Sullivan was flood 5s or 24 hours' imprisonment •n default, and Patrick Sullivan was sentenced to a month's hard labour, and for damaging Constable Payne's shako a conviction was recorded against him. A first offender was Convicted and discharged. James Policy was fined 10s or 18 hour?' in default for disorderly conduct while drunk, and Walter Harkins was sentenced to a month's hard labour for a like offence, nnrl for using obscene language, and resisting Constable Cox in the execution of his duty, received an additional month's imprisonment, to run concurrently. For drunkenness while in charge of a horso and cart Percy Bosworth was fined 20?. Adjourned: A boy named Allen Howard pleaded not jjuilty to a charge of using obscene language in the Albert Park en Sunday evening. Mr. Baume appeared for the accused. The boy denied having used the language, and said that another boy was the offender. The case was adjourned till Wednesday next, to enable tho boy to be produced as a witness. Juvenile Offenders: Two small boys named Walter Chalmers (10) and Charles McLean (10) were charged with breaking and entering the dwellinghouse of John Gill, and stealing an axe and a hilly of the total value of Is fad. Mr. Reed appeared for the boys, whose parents were in Court, and said that thoy had gone to the house, and, being under the impression it was empty, taken the articles named, which were lying on the floor. His Worship cautioned the boys strongly, and allowed them to go oil their promising not to offend ntrain. An Art of Vandalism: A young man named William Dye pleaded not guilty to a charge of drawing .an indecent representation in the Auckland Museum. Sub-Inspector Wilson prosecuted, and Mr. Gregory appeared for (he accused. The caretaker of the museum said that r»i October 31 last he saw the accused in the statue room of the museum take a pencil from his pocketbook and make cprta;n marks on the statue of Yenus di Medici. Witness was hiding in the Maori house in the room, and aroused Dye, of the act shortly afterwards, which ho denied. Mr. Clieoseman said that the museum authorities had a lot of trouble in protecting the statues from indecent markings, and that the caretaker bad been instructed to conceal himself in 'he building in order to detect culprits in this respect. Accused flatly denied any knowledge of the offence, and stated that he had two companions with him at the time, who could lie produced as witnesses. The case was adjourned till the 12th inst. to enable further evidence to be called.

Alleged Theft: William Green was charged with receiving the sum of 4s 3d from George Perara, and failing to account for the same to his employer. There was a second charge of stealing the sum of I?,= Bd, the property .-f the National Laundry Company ■ (Limited). Accused, who was defended hv Mr. J. R. Lundon, pleaded not guilty. The books of account, produced in evidence by the prosecution, showed that the moneys had actually been credited. His Worship considered that no case had been made out, an d dismissed both informations. • *