POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13750, 15 May 1908, Page 7

POLICE COURT NEWS.

" ERRED IN IGNORANCE." In the Police Court yesterday, before Messrs. W. Cooper, Moss Davis, and G. Denby, justices of the peace, a young married woman named Amelia Margaret Mclntyre was charged with removing her infant from the Children's Home, Ayr-street, Parnell, without having first obtained the written consent of a duly authorised officer, while Mary Ryan, another young married woman, was charged with having received the infant into her care for more than seven consecutive days without being licensed under the Children's Life Protection Act as a foster-parent. Sir. W. E. Hack-eft represented the defendants, and he formally pleaded guilty. Mr. Hackett went on to explain that Mrs. Mclntyre had boarded the child, which was under the age of six years, at-the home for two years, paying for its maintenance at intervals. She got behind with the payments slightly, and on being told that the Charitable Aid Board might be written to 011 the matter, she went up and took the child away, subsequently handing it over to the care of. Mrs. Ryan, a resident of. Vincent-street, without entering into the necessary formalities. .W hen Mrs. Ryan discovered that she 'bad made a mistake she applied for a license, which was granted. Both the defendants had erred in " absolute ignorance," and he asked that a conviction be not recorded. The Bench dismissed the information, with a caution to the defendants. SCRAP IRON. Francis Norman Johnston, a young man, who admitted that he had served sentences for different crimes, pleaded guilty to stealing a quantity of scrap iron, the property of Mr. Miller, of Pakuranga, and he was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. William Scarboroa, a young mar: with negro blood in his veins, was jointly charged. He denied the offence, and Johnston supported him. He was committed for trial. BY-LAW BREACHES. Frederick Win. Moore, who had cycled along Manukau Road, Parnell, after dark without a light on his machine, was lined 5s and costs, while a similar line was imposed on a young man named Robert Wylic, who had wheeled a milk dandy along the footpath in George-street, Kingsland. E. H. Peel, of Devonport, the owner of two wandering cows, and three others tethered on the Narrow Neck Road, Devonport, in contravention of the by-laws of that borough, was fined 5s and costs. MISCELLANEOUS. An elderly woman named Annie Dunn, who was found sleeping on .the. premises of Messrs. Keenan and Sons, in Albertstreet, yesterday morning, was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment, she having a: very bad record. -Thomas Chappell, whe did not appear, but as represented by Mr. W. E. Hackett, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment on a charge of using bad language. Alexander James' Smith, a visitor to Auckland from the country, who said that he had only spent £4 of his £35 cheque up to-the. present in drink, was fined .5s for drunkenness, and £2 for refusing to leave the licensed premises of the United Service Hotel when requested by the licensee (Mr. Bach) to do so. He intimated his intention of placing: the remainder of his money in the bank.

'.Three first offenders for drunkenness were fined the usual 5s and costs.