POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13392, 22 January 1907, Page 7

POLICE COURT NEWS.

A MOTHER AND HER CHILD.

CHARGED WITH ABANDONING AN INFANT. A I'm; woman, named Sarah McPhund, was Iwfore Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., at the Police Court, yesterday, charged with having unlawfully abandoned her child (under two yeans of age) at, Orakei. Sub-Inspector Cordon stated that, accused left the child iu a Maori whare at Orakei oil October 18. A Maori woman, residing at Orakei, said the woman told her that, six- (accused) wanted someone to adopt her children, and witness said she would adopt the eldest child. A man named Bowers, who was in company with accused, wanted witness to take the child at once, but witness refused. A document was subsequently drawn up for the adoption of the child, but the application was refused by the magistrate. Accused afterwards resided at Orakei with a Maori woman named .Mary Paul. Witness went, tor a holiday and took the eldest child with her, and when she returned McPhund was still residing at Orakei. Accused subsequently went away and left the you us child in a Maori hut at Orakei. Fortunately someone heard I In* baby crying, otherwise it. might have died.

Constable Burke, stated that on October 18 he visited Orakei and found lie last wittier with two children, one of whom was the child referred to in tile charge. Accused, a "single woman, said the Maoris t<x>k a fancy to her children, and she asked them to take care of I hern for her. One of them refused to do so, bur a young woman named Minnie llera said she would look after them. Witness told the native* that she was going away on the following morning. Before she left, she gave the baby to the young Maori woman. Three other native women were present when she gave the child to Minnie Hera. She then went, away with a man named Bowers, who was the father of the children. She was induced by Bowers to get rid of the children so that he could take her to Hawora. When she left Ora-kei the Maoris told her that they would look after her children.

The further hearing of the c<t-e was then adjourned until this morning.

ALLEGED TH LET.

A younlj man named William M< K<>nua, lor whom Mr. -J. I. Eundon appeared, pleaded not guilty to stealing a shirt valued at, 'Is, ho property of John .Marks. ChiefDetective Marsack prosecuted. The evidence for (he prosecution «a; to the effect that McKcima had been residing at. the same boardinghouso as the complainant. and when accused left the place Marks missed his .shirt.

Accused admitted wearing the shirt, but said that he thought it belonged to him when he took it from his late boarding-house-keeper's clothes' line. The shirt was among other articles of clothing, and it was dark at. the time lie took it.

Mr. Kettle said he was not- prepared to convict, on the evidence. It. was quite probable that the washing had got mixed, and a mistake had I wen made. The cuoC wh.s thereupon dismissed. UNDER-ACi; BOYS WITH FIREARMS. Two boys. Robert- I'rentice and Gustavo Neville Savage, were charged with having used firearms while under the age (16 years! provided bv law. < With regard to Prentice Sub-Inspector Cordon explained that the defendant had a shot, at. a neighbour's dog with an air gun from his parents' premises. These were the first prosecutions since the new Act came into force.

Mr. Kettle cautioned the bov and recorded a conviction against, him. lie a'so ordered him to forfeit his rifle.

With regard to the other case the subinspector said Savage, who resided at. Birkenhead, fired a shot out of a pea rifle Ik' hind the Birkenhead gasworks. '1 lie lx>y's mother said her son had been trained to handle a gun since he was seven years of age. At tho age of nine years her son saved the life of one of his brothers through being able to handle a gun by killing a large snake. Defendant was convicted and discharged. Ho was also ordered to forfeit, the pea rifle. DISTURBANCE ON A STEAMER. James Sansdell, a young man. pleaded not guilty to assaulting John Davis and to being found by night without lawful excuse on board the s.s. lndraghiri. Evidence war given to the effect that accused and three other men went alioard the steamer on Saturday night, and on being asked to leave tluv refused to do so. Davis, who had asked the men to leave the ship, was struck by one of them on the neck and head. He was then knocked down and became unconscious.

Accused admitted being on lioard the steamer, but denied committing tho assault. Ho said he had assisted a member of the crew aboard the vessel, this being his reason for going aboard. He did not see an assault, committed.

-Mr. Kettle said that lie was not satisfied that there was sufficient, proof as to the accused's identification, and dismissed the information. ILL-TK BAT 1 N't i CALVES. Two men. named Daniel Ryan and Walter (loodare, were charged with cruelly illtreating nine calves. ' Sub-Inspector ' Cordon called witnesses to show that on Thursday last (loodare was seen driving the a Ives in a spring cart to the slaughterhouse. The cart, contained nine calves, all huddled together in an overcrowded state. One of the calves was so jamm-d that, it could not move its head. Bvan had assisted floodare to load the calve-, and had admitted that the calves were overcrowded.

Moth defendants stated that they did not consider that the calves were overcrowded.

Rvan was fined £2 and costs and (Joodare £1.

ALLEGED CRIMINAL ASSAULT.

Arthur Richard V*. Goodwill, a middleaged man, was charged with having criminally assaulted a female at Bakuranga on January 7.

Chief-Detective Marsack applied for a week's remand, in order to obtain evidence. He said that the offence was a very serious one, and that, the accused was a man of considerable means. Bail was allowed, in two sureties of £250 each.

REMANDED. Joseph Walker, charged with assaulting Fredk. White was remanded for a week, on lie application of Inspector Gordon. The sub-inspector said that accused tried to escape from the arresting constable, and in endeavouring to do so lie .-lipped ami twisted his ankle. He was then removed to the hospital, and was still under treatment.

A young man named Edward Hindoo was remanded to appear at the Thames <,n Wednesday, on a charge of stealing a quantity of boat ballast, valued at £2, the property of Charles Simicli.

John 11. Murray was charged with obtaining £2 from Horace Jones by means of a valueless cheque. Sub-Inspector Gordon asked for a. remand until Friday. He informed the Court, that accused gave himself up to the police, admitting that, tie had committed the offence. In answer to Mr. Kettle accused said his reason for giving himself up to the police was because he "thought tie- defecti were after him." His Worship granted a remand mitil Wednesday.

David Cook, an elderly man, pleaded not guilty to a charge of vagrancy. In reply to Mr. Kettle Cook admitted that he had often slept iu the Domain at night.. Accused was remanded until today for .sentence.

Stanley Robert: Mill, a young married man, was remanded until Friday, on a charge of stealing a bicycle at. Diinedin. Chief-Detective Marsark stated that accused had expressed his intention of pleading guilty. MIXCKL LAN BOBS. Two young women, Jennie Davidson and Marv Howe, were charged with vagrancy. Both casus were adjourned for a month to see if '..lie accused conducted themselves properly Hi the meantime. For committing a breach of a prohibition order by entering the Newmarket Hotel, Arthur Slonian was fined 10s, and costs 9s.

William Hennessey was fined £2, or in default, seven days' imprisonment, for entering the licensed premises of the Family and Naval Hotel during the currency of a prohibition order.

A first offender for drunkenness, who did not appear, was ordered to forfeit the aniouiil of bail, £1. Charles IVrriti, who had driven his veh'ole ionl the corner of Poiisonliy and Karaiitfahape Roads at a greater *pw<| than that- prescribed, and also kept within two feet of the kerbstone, was lined 5s 11J costs un each charge.