LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11857, 8 January 1902, Page 7

LAW AND POLICE.

POLICE" COURT NEWS. . , !fHE bench at yesterday's sitting of the Police Court ", was occupied; by -Mr.' H. W. Brabant ; i S.M. - < ' ! Drunkenness: John Hawker was fined 10s ? with the option of 48 '. hours' imprisonment! Vagrancy: A.young woman, Lizzie Morris, who was before the Court on Monday, and' remanded, on a charge of being an idle and . disorderly person with insufficient lawful visible means of support, was again put in the" dock.. Sub-Inspector Mitchell informed "the Bench that since the adjournment the police had been in communication with the officials of the Salvation Army : Homo " in which, institution the accused wy' at '-,_' time an inmate. During the i rori od accused wa connected with the ££gg was generally very good avd the authorities were now-willing to read.- ffiifc accused to the institution. he wo . ald ° ™ e Worsh ;P £ ~ n accused and order her toSTn«t for ffQnt ? ° when called on within the next jiX months _ The Bench carried out - ie suggestion of the sub-inspector, and the Accused Was subsequently, discharged .; and ~ ,■ handed oyer . to . a sister '■ of the Salvation ~ Army, Home, who was present in Court . --.sleeping in the Park: A lad named Wm - - Gregory was charged that he was a neglected ; child wandering at large, contrary to the In- . ; dustrial School Act, 1881.' Sub"-Inspector -■'-'- Mitchell explained to the Court'- that tho lad ..was on Sunday night last found sleeping ■■„-, under some shrubs in tho Albert i'ark The ' father of the lad informed the Bench that ~ tils' son left homo at Epsom early on the" morning m question. Ho thought the boy had gone to -the homo of some friends. His Worship discharged the lad, after cautioning the father to have in future proper control ■■■■■:. -or his son. ....... , , . - By-laws: A 'busdriver named John WatRon was charged that he did drive a 'bus and tax horses upon the footpath of Epsom Road. . The evidence of Constable Dart went to show that on Friday' the 27th ult., defendant, in ; turning his vehicle near the tram stables, ..'-■ on the Manukau Road, drove along the foot- , path for a distanco,of about half-a-chain. His Worship imposed a fine"of 5s and 7s costs : Charge of Extorting Money: A sturdy young man named Patrick Davis, on remand, • : was charged I that he did, on December 22, at iillerslie, extort by .threat the sum of 3s from Daniel McLeod. Accused, who pleaded • not guilty, was defended by Mr. T. Cotter. •Darnel McLeod, who said he was a turf commission agent and horseowner, deposed that while ho ( was .. conversing ■'" with - a ineint, James. Bennett, : near the Ellcrslie ; Hotel accused,'. with whom ,He,was acquainted, came up.to him and re- • quested him to give him some silver. Witness , handed accused a 2s piece. - Accused ■, t threw it Upon the ground, and again asked for some silver, threatening that the "mob" were present. r Witness, not 'wishing to create a scene, handed accused 3s, it being all hoJiad in his possession at the time. Since, the information had been laid accused had interviewed witness regarding the affair, and had offered to refund the 3s, and to pay for any inconvenience witness had been subjected to. James Bennett, horse trainer ..and owner, stated that he overheard accused say to McLeod, after threatening him,-" You ' had better give me the money," and subse- . quently he noticed McLeod hand the money over to accused. - Mr.' Cotter submitted that' there was no intention on the part of accused to steal the money. The Bench said that although it was apparent from the evidence that accused had behaved improperly towards McLeod, and in a sense threatened him. the main question was whether there was a reasonable probability of a jury convicting, and he did not think that there was. ; - He was so of opinion that accused -'; did not intend stealing the money, but that he merely : intended it as a loan. Under , the circumstances,-ho did not think he would be 'justified in committing accused- for trial. , The case was dismissed. ' : ; Drunkenness and Wilful Damage: John Joseph ", Callanan, on remand, was again brought before the' Court on a charge of ' drunkenness and with wilfully damaging a blanket, tho property of tho New Zealand Government. Accused pleaded guilty. SubInspector Mitchell said that when accused was last before the Court a doubt was ex- ...- pressed as to his sanity, but since the adjournment accused had been medically ex- - amined, and tho doctors were of opinion that ; he was not mentally deficient.' .His Worship sentenced accused to two months imprisonment as an habitual drunkard, and ordered him to pay the cost of the damage done to • Government property. . . ~' , - p '•'■' '. —■ - ••• ■* - - " "-•■ -'■■'■•■ '{'■■ m -;" PAPAKURA S.M. COURT. ■:. January 6. -. \ .'-<; " : '- (Before Mr. H. W. Northcroft, S.M.) • < ,-v, ;.-A Criminal: ; Police: v. George Harding, .jfcharged with neglecting to bury a cow that • >. died on the roadside. Pined 20s, ami £1 18s 7 costs. ' ■•'-'. .:"•;. "-. ' ■ - .' /; .. ■ '= "_'■ Civil: Judgment was given for : plaintiff in ■ default in the following cases :--Hunua Road District (by its collector, .John ,T. , Stembndge) v. William McGarry, for 5s lid costs £1 ss; same v. Henry Justin £1 7s 3d. costs 10s; same v. John McLiver, 13s lOd, .'costs ss; same v. George A. Pollock, £1 9s Id, costs ss; same v. Messrs. Nicholson and . Hones, 5s lid, costs 8s; same v. Thomas Bel , 15s Id, costs, 15s; John Thomas Stembridge v. George A. Pollock, 10s, costs 53.— [Own Correspondent.]