LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11692, 29 June 1901, Page 7

LAW AND POLICE.

SUPREME COURT. Friday. Mb. H. C. Brewer, (Registrar) held a sitting in Chambers yesterday forenoon, when a decree nisi granted , under tho Divorce and Matriemonial. Causes Act, 1867, in the matter of Louis John Steele (petitioner) and Mario Louis Piatti. Steels (respondent), on tho grounds of five years, jniwie absolute. Dr. Laishley "apeared for the petitioner, and there was no appearance of the respondent. MAGISTRATE'S OOUBT.-Friday. Mr. 11. W. Brabant, S.M., presided over a ! sitting of the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Judgment Summonses: Orders were mada in the following judgment summonses — ! Paterson and.Co. (Mr. McGregor) v. H. ElI der, claim £2 lis, defendant ordered to pay : £1 lis within one month, or in default to : undergo 14 days' imprisonment; G. Moody J (Mr. Baxter) v. P. R. Sayers, claim £3 2s, i ordered to pay £2 Is lOd within one month, i or the alternative of one month's imprisoni ment. ! Defended, Case: In the oase of Austin i Walsh and Co. v. Tonson Garliok Co., j in which the plaintiffs sought for payment ; for a certain time register, or in the alterna- ; five for return of same, and which e?.se was ! heard in the Court on Thursday, His Wor- ! ship gavo judgment for plaintiffs for tho re- ' turn of the machine. Mr. A. Hanna ap- ; peared for the plaintiffs and Mr. F. E. ; Ban mo for the defendants. | POLICE COURT NEWS. | At yesterday's sitting of the Police Court i tho presiding magistrate was Mr. T. Hutchij son, S.M. | Drunkenness: Five first-offending inebrij ates were dealt with in the usual way, and j "William Tacker, with several previous con- ! victions, was fined 10s, or the alternative of seven days' imprisonment. Joha Joseph Gallanan, a habitual drunkard, was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment with hard labour. By-laws: J. Cahill, for whom Mr. Burton appeared, was charged with allowing goods j to remain on the footpath in Grey-street, | and thereby obstructing the pathway, and I was fined 5s and 7s costs. For' riding a biI cycle on the footpath in tho main South | Road, David Ireland was fined ss" and Ts i costs. A lad named • Henry McDonald, a | bus-leader rider, charged with having allowj ed his horse to roam about in Wellosley- ! street, was discharged with a caution. James | Marshall T.sing was fined 5s and costs for I having ridden a horse on tho main South Road footpath. Separation Orders: Florence May Hill applied for a separation order against Frank "William Hill, on tho ground that defendant had discontinued to provide her with mam tonance. The order was granted on the defendant consenting. Harriet Ta-pp applied for a separation order on tho ground of cruelty. Complainant and her daughter gavo evidence. For tho defence, Mr. Reed submitted that there should be evidence of persistent cruclty before the order could be granted, and that there had been to a certain extent provocation in the case. Tho defendant, Tapp, was put into tho witness-box, and ill his evidence _ doniod striking hi 3 wife i prior to the application having been made. j His Worship granted tho order as prayed, and defendant was ordered to pay £1 per j week towards the support of his younger • children.

Alleged Vagrancy: The old decrepit man, Robert Francis Manning, who was charged at the Court several clays ago for being tin idle and disorderly person,"in that he has I insufficient lawful visible means of support, j was again brought before the Court. On i his promising to remain in the Cos Hoy Homo if re-admitted, His Worship remanded tho accused till the 3rd prox., to allow the police to interview tho superintendent and ascertain whether that cfnc-Dr would allow the accused to return to (ho homo. Alleged Assault :» 'The young man Arthur I Johnson, who was charged last Friday-with : having on April 30 wilfully assaulted Ohristo- , P Saunders with intent to do him grievous ; bodily harm, was again brought before tho j Court. Evidence was taken on a previous | occasion. Mr. Hanna appeared for accused, I On tho accused giving evidence, ho stated ! that on the Saturday night in question he j was accompanying a girl home, and when j they had reached, the corner of Albert and I Swanson Streets, Saunders, who had been : following in the rear for somo distance, and I persistently saying "Good-night," deliberI ately bumped into witness. Then a few heati ed words were exchanged, and on .the rej quest of Saildecs witness mado an attempt | to take off his coat, and in doing so Saunders i knocked him down. Saunders then struck J witness several times in the face and m the i back of the bond. Witness, on rising, thou 1 struck Saunders. Subsequently Saunders j clutched witness' hat and made off with it j down tho street, and witness gave chase. j Wi.en arriving at- the bottom of the street ; Saunders tripped on a crossing and fell, j Witness was several yard's behind liim when I lie fell. When witness arrived at tho spot | ho went up to Saunders, and he replied that I he had tripped and broken his knee*. Witness I was certain Saunders was under tho influence !of liquor. • Ho was not acquainted with i Saunders. To Sergeant Forbes:" Ho was I not under the influence 'of liquor. Samuoi | Johnson, butcher, and no relation to the I accused, deposed that ho was - standing on , the opposite footpath when Saunders foil • | he then wont over tc the latter. Accused had I net arrived at the time, and there was no i possibility of Saunders having been tripped j by acoused. Saunders mentioned at the time? i that ho had tripped and fell. Aocused did !" 0 by . IS appearance seem to have been in- . dulging m liquor. His Worship, in summing J up, said that it did not appear to him that | Johnson committed the assault with Intent i to do actual bodily harm, and consequently |he would dismiss the case. If it was their i desire, the police coald institute a cb-irp;o of common assault. " !

COROMANDEL MAGISTRATE'S COURT. At the Magistrate's Court, Coronmandel, ■ ti,> o > , Messrs. Rockliff and James, vr fi * no OWJ *ng cases were heard: Mrs. Christephersen v. Hrs. Htehr: Claim £1 Is 6d for wages. Plaintiff appeared in person, and Mr. Walker for defendant. 1 Judgment for defendant without cost.". A: Devery v. John Lynch: Claim £6 Os sd_ for meat supplied. Mr. Darnell for Pontiff, Mr. Crvickshank for donfendant. Iho defence was a release which had been entered into by the pariics. It appears that plaintiff had been leesee of a shop of defendant's, but the rent bqing in arrear a distress was put in. An agreement was subsequently come to by which Lynch took over all Devery's plant at a valuation, and agreed to pay him the balanoe, after deucting all rent due. It was also agreed that the lease bo surrendered, and tho parties : release one another from all claims between them. Mr. Cruickshank said Devery at that timo claimed damages for illegal distress, and Lynch had all his future rents under the lease, which had 12 yearn yet to run, and both parties released one another of everything, including this account. After some argument, the Bench gave judgment for tho amount olaimod. Hoyla v. Mmlqqeony: This was on information for interfering with horses seized for the purpose of being impounded. Mr. Cruiokshank for the defendant. Mr. Hoylo, the informant, gave evidence, but failed to produce his appointment as ranger. After some discussion, tha Bench decided the appointment must be produced, and dismissed tho information. -—{Own Correspondent.]: