LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12268, 12 May 1903, Page 7

LAW AND POLICE.

POLICE COURT NEWS. Mr. H. W. Brabant, S.M., presided over yesterday's sitting of the Police Court. Drunkenness: Two first offenders were convicted and discharged with cautions. I John Maxwell and Richard Davis, with pre- : vious convictions, were each fined ss, or in default 24- hours an d John Murphy, an old offender, £1, or in default seven days. Committed for Sentence: Percy Hayes was charged with the theft of £7 lis. the property of Herbert William Jackson, from the dwelling of Kate Cornwall, East-street, Auckland, on the morning of May 4. Mr. J-A.'^- rk ® ee d. appeared for the accused and Ohief-Detective Grace conducted the prosecution. Complainant, in the course of his evidence, said that on the morning of the loss he left the house of Mrs. Cornwall, with whom he boarded, to go to work, leaving a pair of trousers containing the keys of the box in which he kept his money hanging up m his room. On his return the sum mentioned had disappeared, having been extracted from a pocket-book in the box; also a further sum of about £30, which had been left m a bag in the box. Witness had not laid an information with the police with regard to the latter amount, because he had not counted the money or looked at it since March. In answer to Mr. Reed the witness said he understood the police had recovered £7 9s of the missing money. Other witnesses examined for the prosecution were Henry Cornwall, Jas. Wilson and Detective Mollveney. Wilson, a receiving clerk in the Auckland Savings Bank, stated that a man named Percy Hayes had opened an account with tho bank, lodging a sum of £7. He would not say accused was that man. Detective Mcllveney, who, in company with Detective McMahon arrested the accused, said that when charged with the theft Hayes had admitted taking the money, and added that he had done so bo cause he was hard up at the time, and could not obtain constant employment. The confession taken by the officers of the law at- the time was then handed in. Accused pleaded guilty to stealing a sum of £7 lis ana was committed to the Supreme Court for sen- j tence. j

A Fencing Act Case: John Peach sought to recover from Messrs. A. Buckland, Thos. Morrin and L. D. Nathan, registered as owners of the Auckland Racecourse, tho Racing Club's proportion of tho cost of a dividing _ fence erected by the plaintiff between his*own property and that of the defendants. The action was under the Fencing Act, and the question was as to the amount to be contributed by tho defendants. Plaintiff, who gave the total cost of the fence as £57 2s scl, was represented by Mr. Cave, and Mr. A. E. Whitaker appeared for the defendants. After 'hearing the evidence for the plaintiff and on© witness for the defenceto support the contention that the amount stated as the cost of the fence was excessive— case was adjourned to enable His "Worship to visit Ellerslie and inspeot the fence. Otahuhu Road Board's Funds: William Latta Lockhart, clerk of the Otahuhu Road Board, charged with stealing the sum of £10, the property of the Board, was before the Court again to enable application for bail being made by tho accused. Mr. C. J. Parr, who appeared for the Board, offered no objection to the application, and said the auditor had begun liw investigation of the books, and had found them to be in a considerable muddle. This might have been because accused had been drinking a good deal lately. There was a possibility that other charges would be the outcome of the investigation of the books. His Worship granted the application for bail, and the hearing of the charge was then further remanded till the 18th inst. (Monday next), bail Doing fixed at £200 in two sureties ol £100 each.

ONEHUNGA POLICE COURT. The monthly sitting of tho Onehunga Police Court was held yesterday by Mr. T. Hutchison, S.M. Damaging a Boat: Geo. Smith, a boy, was charged with damaging a boat, tho property of H. Schmidt, by boring four gimlet holes in the side and breaking the_ seat, and also smashing an oar. Mr. Schmidt claimed 12s damages. Mr. Jackson Palmer appeared for tho accused, and pleaded not guilty. After hearing evidence His Worship said he was satisfied the boy was guilty, and inflicted a fine of 10s, with 3s 6d damages, and 9s costs. Maintenance: Thomas Hill was ordered to contribute 7s 6d per week towards the maintenance of his mother, on her application. OTAHUHU POLICE COURT.Saturday, Mat 9. (Before Mr. S. Luke and Dr. E. A. Bowes, J .TVs.) George Thomas was charged with being drunk and disorderly at Panmure on May 8, also with wilfully trespassing on the premises of George Thomas, sen., and refusing to leave the same when requested to do so, and with _ assaulting District Constable Finnerty while in the execution of his duty. Accused pleaded not guilty to each of the charges. George Thomas, sen., District Constable Finnerty, and Constable Foreman gave evidence for the proseoution. and Delia Norton (sister of the accused) for the defence. The accused was convicted on the two charges of drunkenness and assaulting District Constable Finnerty and fined 10s and costs for being drunk and £2 and costs for assaulting the constable, the fines and costs together amounting to £3. The charge of trespass was dismissed.[Own Correspondent.]