LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12547, 14 April 1904, Page 7

LAW AND POLICE.

POLICE COURT NEWS.

Yesterday's silting of the Police Court was held before Mr. O. 0. Kettle, S.M. Drunkenness: Of the two first-offenders who appeared before His Worship, 011 a was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, while the other was convicted and fined ss, or in default 24 hours' imprisonment. Breach of a Prohibition Order: James Reddaway was charged with being found on the licensed premises of the Albion Hotel during the currency.of « prohibition order. Ho pleaded guilty, and it was explained by the police that frequent complaints had been received from the accused's family, in destitute circumstances, about his getting drink during the currency of the order. His Worship said ill that case the best thing to do would be to commit the defendant to the Inebriates' Home at Woitati, which he would do if Reddaway appeared before him again. In the present cese he would only convict, and order accused to come tip for sentence when called upon. \ Street Row : A charge of causing a breach of the pence in Park Road, Newmarket, on the 2nd iiist., was preferred against. Thomas Boyd, represented by Mr. Martin, and Robert Alexander Hancock, represented by Mr. Cotter. Both the accused pleaded not guilty, and a further charge of assaulting Robert Alexander Hancock was preferred against Boyd. The cases were heard together. It was elicited from the evidence "that the parties concerned had been at loggerheads for some considerable time past. On the morning ot the 2nd hist., while Robert Ilancock was painting his fence. Boyd enmo up and they had some words. As ft result they commenced to light, the witnesses for the prosecution sayiug that Boyd was the chief offender, Hancock only acting in self-defence. His Worship took this view, and dismissed the information acrainst Hancock, while he convicted Boyd on both charges, and fined him 20'. rud costs £1 Is. Charges of Vagrancy: George Holt and Leedham Whitehead, who both appeared to he strong and able-bodied, were charged with vagrancy. In '■•o case against Holt, wh j pleaded not guilty, Chief-Detective Grace was granted a remand in custody till Friday, on the ground that the two detectives "who effected Holt's arrest had since been called out of town on special duty. Chief-Detective Grace made a similar application on the same grounds in respect, to Whitehead, but, as the accused objected the Case was gone on with. Detectives Maddern. Hollis. and Kennedy said the accused had come under their observation during the past two or three months, when he was frequently seen knocking about hotels and racecourses in 'ho company of convicted thieves, and persons of ill-repute. He frequently haunted the dark doorways in Victoria-street, and was to he scon there at all hours of the night. While at the Ellerslie races the other day ho was warned off the course by j Detective Hollis as an undesirable character, j and was told that if he did not procure work j soon he would be brought before the Court | on a charge of vagrancy. Ho did not take j any notice of this, however, and had not, so far as they know, attempted to get work. He had been before the Court on a number of other charges within the past six months. The accused's story was to the effect that he was a "poor, innocent country person," who had just come to town, and had fallen j into bad company, whoso reputations ho did not know. He had seen it in the papers lately, he said, that these sort of characters were now pestering the Innocent onus, and lie explained to His Worship that that was his position. He did not see how it was that the detectives should arrest him and not the otbars, wko were the real offenders. He was a guradigger, and if His Worship would give him a chance he would walk back to iPapakura that day. Mr. Kettle said he would give him that chance, though he was not quite sure that he was doing right in doing so. He would adjourn the case until Friday morning, and if Whitehead was not out of the city then, the detectives could rearrest him.