LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11551, 15 January 1901, Page 7

LAW AND POLICE.

" ~v .■! ' * - ' POLICE COURT NEWS.* ' ' ,i*'h W. BhaBAKT. 5.M.,. presided at the iiftfbourt yesterday morning. • - '< Drunkenness: ; Samuel Blair, an habitual dSB. was sentenced to two,months Im- ,? with hard labour, for drunkenprisonm Speers, for the same offence, : n lOs /or in default 48 hours' imS a first .offender, who did not was also fined 10s, or in default 48 Iff S imprisonment, while another first of}oWy a & was convioted and discharged. .. l- v Pieced Assault: ' Ralph Ormston was ii iMahat on the 12m inst. he did asS'! - 1?, Valentine Wood with intent to do §7 . „,,a bodily harm to the said Valentine I Swl On the application of Chief-Detec-ji v' .V, 0 Graco i the hearing •of - the charge was Sned for a week. Mr. J. R. Reed, on Johalf• 0 the accused, asked that bail might 'wallowed in one surety of a small sum. J[is Worship allowed bail in one surety of : to Ashburton: Henry Fawcett, P*iiarie& with ' having, during the month of • November, at Ashburton, stolen" the' sum of ffi. Sib from one David Thomas, auctioneer in j Aihhurton, was remanded to appear in the court at Ashburton on Monday, the; 21st ;„«f - Bail'-was allowed. V •" , Va" Christchurch Ciiso: John Walker, who • -M out in the dock on a charge of disobey-he-ml'order of the Court at: Chnstchurch :, for; the- support; of • his; wife, was remanded ' to Christchurch. Trial r- A younk man/ WilCommitted for Trial: A young man, William Small,' was charged with having, on number 27 last, stolen from the person of %: William "Price one half-sovereign, the property of the said William Price. - Sub-In-Buector ■ Mitchell prosecuted on behalf of the - police. The principal witness for the .'. prosecution was Price, a sailor, who stated that on the night of the 27th ult., in Lorne•treet, he asked the accused and another man the way to Queen-street, as he wanted to get back, to his ship.. Accused and the other man walked beside him, and accused, after asking him some questions, went through his left-hand trouscr pocket and took from it a half-sovereign and some small change. After his arrest accused denied having a half-sovereign in his possession, but a search at the police station revealed the half-sovereign in accused's waistcoat.' Wit-, ness was sober himself, and ho was sure that - accused was' not drunk. Evidence .of the search at the police office was given by Sergeant Forbes and other* mombers. of the police force, and of the arrest of the accused by Detective Bailey... Accused;' who reserved his defence, pleaded'not guilty, and was committed for trial at' the next' sittings of the Supremo Court. Bail was allowed in two sureties of £20 each. -- • Alleged Indecent Assault: George William Smith, on remand, ..was charged with indecently assaulting, *,„* on November 0, f Evelyn; Mary ' MoKenzie, a girl of the age of 12 years. . Sub-Inspector Mitchell prosecuted, while : prisoner was defended by' Mr. Williamson.. Evidence was given by Evelyn Mary McKenzie. by her parents, by William McKcnzio, a brother, and by Daniel O'Sullivan,- a/mate on one of the Dovonport > ferry boats. Accused re- . served his defence and pleaded : not guilty. His' Worship . committed tlio accused for trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court. Bail was. allowed in'two sureties of £25 each. Mr. T. Hutchison, S.M., ' also sat in the Police Court for a short time, and heard the following cases• *" •" ; ; .' v Family Trouble: Reginald Graham Henderson pleaded not-guilty to having assaulted Jane Henderson at Ponsonby on ,the bth inst. Jane; Henderson, his mother, deposed, that accused had-, struck her on. 1 , the head on; the date in question. After hearing the evidence His Worship bound accused, over one surety of £25 to keep the peace ' for the space of - six months. "• . , v Assault:. Joseph Stevens, an' elderly man, was charged that, on or about December 12 last, he did a' ult. one William Finley'by striking him on the head with clenched fist. Mr. J. R. Reed appeared for the accused. It will be remembered that; the caso was adjourned from Friday,last,' so that; a Syrian hawker, Antonius, might be called to' give evidence oi the alleged assault. - Antonius deposed that accused had struck .Finley with the back of the open hand. Accused had too much drink andi'/vuie3 bad "words," His' Worship, in summing up, said that there could bo no doubt that the assault had taken' place:' Finley had been severely, hurt, and the medical evidence showed that the clenched fist , had ..been used. The plea of provocation was groundless. v Accused was convicted and sentenced to two-:- weeks' '"imprisonment with hard labour.