SAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11869, 22 January 1902, Page 7

SAW AND POLICE.

• " • j' POLICE COURT NEWS. ' The • presiding " magistrate at yesterday's sitting, of the Police Court was Mr. H. W. Brabant, S.M. '''■ * Drunkenness: Two male first offenders for inebriety, after receiving the customary admonition, were discharged. Infants' Life Protection Act: A woman of middle age named Elizabeth Bates, _ arrested oil warrant, was charged with having, on December 17 of last year, being the holder of a license under the Infants' Life Protection Act, 18S6, she did fail' to enter in her record book the particulars required by section 13 of such Act in rcspect to an infant named Olive Myrtle Landbrook, received into her home. Mr. Fitzherbert represented the accused, who pleaded guilty. He stated that siccused had been constantly in trouble of late. She had adopted a .number of chilI dren, practically all of whom had ocv casioned her much inconvenience and worry. Only recently accused got into difficulties ■:i owing to one of the children under her :Y'i supervision poisoning itself. He was cer- \ tain that if the Bench cautioned and dis- ' { charged her it would have the desired effect ' ) on the, woman and act as a warning to her. ! Sub-Inspector Mitchell stated that accused's ; neglect to entor the required particulars in . i the boot; kept for the purpose- was due to ':utter carelessness. When Mrs. McDonald, police matron and gazetted inspector under .4 the Act, visited accused's residence and made inquiries concerning the non-entry of particulars of the child, accused told the inspector that the infant's parents were in < the Waikato district and that she was placed in a ' peculiar predicament and was , totally • unable . to' secure the necessary particulars regarding the child. His Worship convicted accused and imposed a fine of £1 and costs. •%' A Juvenile Offender: A boy of some 14 : years of age, named Harold Walter Parker, wfts charged that he did on or about January 5 steal the sum of £13 2s, the property 01 : Charles Ratjcn, Queen-street. Chief-Detec-tive Grace prosecuted. Mr. J. 0. Martin appeared for tho lad, who admitted the theft. He stated that the lad was formerly employed by Mr. Ratjen in his shop. On the day in •' question a lad at the present time working at Mr. Ratjen's establishment tendered accused an invitation to visit the shop. While accused was there, he, being fully acquainted '.with every nook and cranny of the shop, espied a small parcel of money on a table " in Mr. Ratjen's office and purloined it. lhe following day accused purchased a bicycle, and was, he understood, riding it about Auckland thoroughfares until his arrest. As accused had previously borne an unblemished character, he would apoly to His Worship to adjourn ' the case for a few days, in order that the buy may bo referred to tho probation officer. If the report of the officer be considered satis- • factory, ho would ask His Worship to discharge the lad under the First Offenders Act. The lad. was accordingly remanded till Saturday next. . Separation Order: On the application of his wife, Kate O'Reilly, a separation order was granted against Jeremiah O'Reilly by consent, defendant also agreeing to tho payment of 15s a week towards his wife's maintenance. . . • ; A Dressmaker Charged: Three informations wero - preferred against Frances . ~ Littlejohn, a dressmaker, that, on • December 30, of last year, she did make,: default in a . full, and punctual payment of wages to one Lousia Rosser, and further, that she did employ Ethel Watkins and Ada-Buchanan after the hour of one p.m. on Saturday, December 14-. The inspector of factories (Mr. Ferguson) prose- ■ cuted, and Mr. J. R. Reed appeared for the defendant. Mr. Reed said that his client pleaded guilty to the first charge. . She was not, he said, cognisant of tho alteration, of tho Act, which necessitated girls being taught the dressmaking business to receive Some remuneration. Defendant was fined Is for each day of the time during which the n-oney was not paid. On the other two charges defendant pleaded not guilty. Evidence given for the prosecution disclosed that shortly after one o'clock on the Saturday afternoon in question the inspector of factories dropped into defendant's workshop, and there saw a number of girls, some of whom, when lie entered, immediately left the room,' but subsequently returned.. lie ' aoticed one of the girls throw some material down, which she was pressing with an iron. The defence was an absolute denial of the allegations of the inspector, and several wit- « 'Besses were called to show that the girls were not working at tho time. His Worship dismissed the information. By-laws: Fines of 10s and costs were imposed on Thomas Bowden and Robert Henry Keenan for driving hackney carriages withV out tho required licenses. Similar charges .Were also Juid against three other cab-drivers, »amed James' Mathie, John McGrggor, and John Sheehan. Defendants pleaded not jiulHy. Counsel for the defendants, Messrs. Jackson Palmer and J. R. Reed, stated that the Devonport Borough Council had issued licenses to the defendants, who were under the impression that these permits would entitle them to ply for hire in the City of Auckland. On the licenses issued to the men by that Council, there were printed instructions to tho effect that the licenses would . permit the holder to drive a cab, and ply for hire for a distance of 500 miles from the Dcvonport post office. Their clients, they 1 said, • were also guided by a recent decision of the Bench in a similar case, when it was ~ held , that a holder of a Devonport driver's license would be "Justified in driving a cab in the city. The eases were eventually adjourned for a few days. Charge Against 'Busdrivers: Charles Matteon, a * 'busdriver, pleaded guilty when '. charged with carrying an excessive number of passengers on the vehicle under his control. Thomas Turner, traffic inspector, stated that this particula. 'bus was licensed to carry eight passengers inside and 12 outside, and when witness stepped the vehic'.e , there was the correct number of passengers outside tho 'bus, but an excessive number of passengers inside the 'bus. Defendant explained to the Court that ho did not permit, the overcrowding of the 'bus, and that when he stopped to pick up a parcel a number of persons flooded the vehicle, and refused to quit when requested. Defendant was fined 20s and costs. Another 'busdriver named John MoLeigh was charged in a similar manner. ' Mr. J. C. Martin represented the defendant, who pleaded not- guilty. Evidence was tendered by Inspector Turner, who deposed that when defendant's 'bus camo Under his view he noticed that it was very much overcrowded , with passengers. On 'speaking to defendant regarding tho over- " loaded state of the 'bus tho defendant declined to induce the passengers in excess of the proper number to get off the vehicle, and told the inppecto. to put them off himself. , For the defence Mr. Martin stated that his client had on several occasions, while he was proceeding up Queen-street on the day in .question, ordered a numbe. of passengers to • leave the 'bu* when he considered it was overloaded. Several of the passengers left the 'bus when requested, but immediately the vehicle started again those persons that were told to leave tho 'bus got in tho back again. - A couple of passengers who were on the 'bus at the time gave corroborative evidence. His Worship dismissed the informa- ; tion, holding, that from the evidence he was i of opinion that the defendant did all that, was • expected of him in th. endeavour to check the overcrowding of the 'bus.