POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13646, 14 January 1908, Page 7

POLICE COURT NEWS.

" THE WIFE-BEATER." Is addition to drunkenness, Henry Kelly was charged, before Mr. R. W. Dyer, S.M., yesterday, with assaulting his wife, Flora Kelly, by beating her. The evidence .showed that accused had reached his home a good deal the worse for liquor, and lie commenced to punch his wife, who was the bread-winner for the family. Mrs. Kelly told the Court that for some time she had been keeping herself and her children by hor own efforts. As tin extenuating circumstance, accused .mentioned that he had not been going homo for many meals lately. Mr. Dyer: The less you say the better. You live on your wife. You don't contribute a penny towards her support, but you go home in a drunken condition and beat her. I don't want, to hear any excuses from a man like you. During last year, I soo, you had six convictions recorded against youit is a nice record, too. Sub-Inspector Gordon: A candidate for Bell's Island, Your Worship. Mr. Dyer: I was just thinking that. I will have to protect your wife. Accused: Don't send me to the island, Your Worship. Mr. Dyer: Twelve months on the island ■ would make a man of you. It would take all the liquor out of you. Accused was fined £1 and costs, in default seven days' imprisonment, on the first charge, rind he was convicted and bound over to keep the peace for six months in his own recognisance of £20, and one surety of £15, on the charge of assault. ALLEGED CRIMINAL ASSAULT. The hearing of the charges against three, boys mimed J times Patterson, Alfred Irwin, and James Newald, of indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 14 years at Ponsonbv, was concluded before Air. C. C. Kettle yesterday afternoon. Mr. J. It. Lundon "appeared to defend, and StationSergeant Hendry prosecuted. Further evidence was called in support of complainant's story, and at tho close of the caw* for the prosecution the police made application to have the information altered to apply also to two other younger girls, whom it was alleged accused had attempted to interfere with. Mr. Lundon raised no objection, and- the information was amended accordingly. All three accused reserved their defence, pleading not guilty, and were committed to tho Supreme Court for trial. Pail was cllowed, being fixed at £50.

ALLEGED CRUELTY TO A HORSE. John Barton, recently from Rotorua, .was charged with having, on December _9, cruelly ill-treated a 'bus horse by working it while suffering from sore shoulders. M'.". J. R. Lundon entered a plea of not guilty on defendant's behalf. The defence was that defendant, had merely taken over the reins during the journey, not knowing the. animal .'/as rob in a fit state to be between the shafts. The case was dismissed, the magistrate remarking that lie hoped the responsible person would be brought to book for 'he ■vfienee. DRUNKENNESS. Gerald Fitzgerald, who appeared on a charge of drunkenness, was remanded fur a week for medical treatment. Agues' Monaghan, alias McMillan, pleaded guiHy to a lapse after four years' sobriety, and was treated as <j first offender, and. fined ss, with the usual alternative. Frederick Orren, with a list covering one side of foolscap, was fined £2, or seven deys. There were three first offenders. One, a male, did not appear, and his bail was frrfeited. The others, a male and a ' female, were dealt with in the usual manner on pleading guilty. STONE-THROWING. Two boys were charged, before the Juvenile Court", with throwing stones at a homo, to the danger of persons living therein. Mr. Dver severely admonished the lads, after which he convicted them, and ordeud them to come up for sentence when called upon. ' REMANDS. A' diminutive Italian named Peter Colombo, with twoaliases, was charged that, on January 11, at Ota huh u, lie did forge a cheque for the payment of £12 Is od, and cause Alice Ann 'Stringer to act on it as being genuine. Chief-Detective Manae:-: asked for a remand for a week to obtain the necessary evidence, as accused had on y been arrested the previous day. Accused was remanded accordingly. Alfred Crossey, charged with obtaining sums of £5 each from Murdoch Cooke and Christopher Leek by/means of valueless ibeques, Was also remanded for a week by tonsent.

MISCELLANEOUS. Win. Gibson pleaded guilty to a charge of procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order. A fine of £2 and co: was imposed. A prohibition order was granted against Theresa Brc.vn, on the application of the police.