POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13286, 19 September 1906, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

ALLEGED THEFT OF MONEY.

A young man named Barry Knowles, defended by Mr. Singer, pleaded not guilty, before Mr. 0. C. Kettle, S.M., at the Police Court, yesterday,. on a charge of stealing £3 6s from Charles Wm. Wad man.

The complainant, a labourer, said on the night "of the 2nd inst. he slept at the Thistle Hotel. Accused and several other men occupied the same room. When witness retired .to bed at 10 p.m. he had £3 10s in his pockets, and wnen ho looked for the money on the following morning it was gone.

Norman Blackworth, a porter, employed I at the Thistle Hotel, said he saw the accused sitting on his bed counting his money on Sunday, September 2. Accused then said: "I wonder how long this will last?" Witness replied, " How much have yoa got? - ' and accused said: 305.". On the following morning the licensee asked accused how much money he had got, and accused said, £4 12s. The licensee'then said " How do you account for the £4 odd z when you only had 30a yesterday?" He made no reply, and refused to give the money back to the complainant. Patrick Quinlan, the license* of the Thistle Hotel, and Constable Dwyer, who arrested accused, also gave evidence. Knowles, a recent arrival from London, said a friend of his, named Nelson, who had since gone .away by steamer, gave him £2 10s.

Mr. Singer submitted that it was a case of suspicion only. Mr. Kettle said he thought it was a case of " the very strongest suspicion," and just fell short of what was sufficient to convict. He discharged accused with a caution. A YOUTHFUL OFFENDER. A 16-year-old boy named Richard Willis, for whom Mr. Singer appeared, pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a rug and a pillow-slip valued at 13s, the property of George Herbert, and also of stealing, a silver watch, valued at £5, the property of Harold R. Millsted. • Chief-Detective Marsack said that the boy was employed by Mr. Herbert, a dairy farmer at Epsom, and stolo the articles mentioned from his premises. The rug and pillow-slip were taken off a bed, and the watch was taken out of a box, which had been broken open by accused. Willis then "cleared out" with the clothing and the watch, and was arrested at Paeroa. The goods had since been recovered. Mr. Singer said that it was the desire of the accused's parents to have the boy committed to an industrial school.

Accused was sentenced to one' month's imprisonment, and is to be afterwards sent to an industrial school.

FALSE PRETENCES. Edgar Hodgson, a, young man, pleaded guilty on. a. charge of obtaining goods to the value of 13s. 2d, and £3 6s lOd in money, from Win, Smith, by means of a, valueless £4 cheque, and also with obtain'ing goods from G. L. Ford ham, an assistant employed at Rnshbrook and Bridgman's. by means of a false pretence. Chief-Detective Mai-sack prosecuted. ■ . In regard to the first charge, it was explained that the accused obtained a. blank cheque, and filled it, in for £4. He. then obtained goods to the value of 13s 2d, and. received the change, £3 lOd. Regarding the second charge, it was stated that accused wont into Rnshbrook and Bridgman's shop, and wanted :to ' purchase a mackintosh, and presented a cheque for payment. While the cheque was being ex--amined by the cashier a policeman came into the shop and arrested accused. * Accused said he had been nearly poisoned with drink. He. must have been in the horrors .■when 1 be sighed the cheque. .-He. was -sentenced ■to three.months' imprisonment on" each charge. •x , ' " " A SERIOUS CHARGE. ; George Phillips, who was 'committee]: for trial on Monday on a charge of indecent assault, was charged with a similar offence yesterday. Chief-Detective Marsaek prosecuted, and accused was undefended. A 13-year-old boy gave evidence in support of the charge. In reply to. accused, witness said,accused bought an umbrella for him. The last time witness saw accused was about seven or eight weeks ago. *, .■ ' . ""■ " Accused: On my solemn oath I swear that the last time I. saw the witness was 12 months ago. -VThe boy's Another, grandmother, and the proprietress of the" boardinghouso where accused'resided also gave evidence. .'.;.

. Detective P. T. McMahori stated that when-arrested accused said he had always been kind to the boy, and had never interfered with him. Accused pleaded not guilty, and was committed for trial. • ■■••■■• ■■•'■', . ; , MISCELLANEOUS. James Smart, for whom Mr. Clayton appeared, applied for an order of 10s a week for maintenance from each, of his two sons, George and James. • He said that his son George was at Dunedin, ensiling a salary of £300 per year, and James was employed in Canterbury at a salary of at least £200 a year. He had also lent George £100, and £90 was still owing. He was 75 years of age, and when he applied for the old age pension he was refused it on account of the existence of these well-to-do sons. % An order for 10s per week was made against George, and' -7s 6d per week against James. * Five persons were charged with drunkenness. Charles Neilson, a second offender, was fined 20s and costs, or, in default, seven days'' imprisonment, and George Slant and Margaret Wilkie were each fined a similar amount, or, in default, 48 hours' imprisonment. One first offender was fined ss, and costs 3s, or, in default, 24 hours' imprisonment, and another, who did not appear; was ordered to. forfeit the amount of bail, £1.

Thomas George Bray was sentenced to one month's imprisonment for disobeying an order of the Court for the maintenance of his wife, the order to be suspended so long as defendant pays weekly instalments off the arrears, £40 ss.

Daniel Lyons was ordered to contribute 10s.per week for the maintenance of his wife. Mr. Biookfield appeared for the complainant on behalf of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children. Harold Johnson was ordered to pay 5s per week for the support of his mother.