LIFE'S SEAMY SIDE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14888, 13 January 1912, Page 5

LIFE'S SEAMY SIDE.

WORK OR MOUNT EDEN.

A DEFECTIVE BALANCE-SHEET.

A big powerful labouring man, named Henry Jones, came before Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., yesterday, to answer a few questions by way of explanation of the fact that he had failed to provide the sum of 10s a week, which he had been ordered to pay for tho maintenance of his two little girls, and had fallen into arrears in his payments to the amount of some £16. He stepped jauntily into the box with quite the air of a man who thought there was no defective joint in his defensive armour. He produced a roll of written documents, which he declared set out to the fullest his expenditure for such and such a period, and with an alacrity almost approaching eagerness, submitted himself to cross-examination. Mr. Kettle went through the accounts item by item, and the defendant answered every question with apparent candour. But by-and-by he was stuck up about the small matter of a payment of ss, which ho had difficulty in accounting for. At first he said he had paid it away, but he had no receipt for it. After a close cross-examination the witness hesitatingly admitted that his previous statement was incorrect.

"Then it was a lie you told me?"

"Yes, sir," was the subdued reply;

"I thought so in fact I knew from the beginning that you were lying. Get out of that box (peremptorily) your word isn't worth a snap of the fingers. You are convicted of disobedience of the first order and sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment with hard labour, but I'll suspend the warrant until further order of- the Court, although you don't deserve it. I believe that drink has demoralised you. In th& second case you are convicted and sentenced to seven days' hard labour, and this warrant will be 'similarly suspended. Now get to your work or otherwise you'll find yourself in Mount Eden gaol."

A WOULD-BE MARTYR.

WILLING TO DIE AT THE STAKE.

A pale, pained-looking man named Llewellyn Evan Argylo Griffiths, who had previously been before the Court in connection with a charge of disobeying an order made against him for the maintenance of his children, who aw now in a State institution, again made his appearance. Mr. Kettle reminded him that on November 24 ho was medically examined, and it was recommended that he should go to the hospital for operative treatment, and yet he had not gone there. Tho magistrate wanted to know how this had come about, if defendant was suffering the amount of pain he complained of, and ho added that the operation necessary for hemorrhoids was of a minor character. Griffiths replied that he had not gone to the hospital because he could not gain admittance, as ho was refused a permit by Mr. A. H. Jones, th© relieving officer. "Do you swear that?" asked the magistrate in a surprised tone. "I do," said the defendant resolutely. Mr. Kettle at once sent for Mr. Jones, who, when the defendant's statement was repeated to him, answered with emphasis, "If he says that ho says what is not true. I said it was not a" charitable aid case, and that tho man was not destitute, as he said he was; but at Mr. Kettle's request I endorsed the order, and said the man waa able to pay." His Worship remarked that he was satisfied that ; defendant was not acting honestly in this matter. He would bo convicted of a breach of the order, and directed to come before the Court again in three weeks' time. Defendant: " Mr. Jones told me to go up to the hospital at once. I did so, and they would not take me in, and said that Mr." "Jones had refused to give me an order" , Mr. Jones : I beg your pardon,' that's not so. Defendant : " Very well, then, I'm a liar and you aren't." His Worship : " Now, none of that here, you must go to the hospital now, and if not you must go to work" Defendant: "Oh ! then I'll die at the stake," and he shuffled slowly out of the Court.

ECHO OF THE PENGUIN WRECK.

HELP FROM THE RELIEF FUND.

Tho case of Cecilia Jane Seager, a middle-aged widow, against Arthur Michael Cowza, a carter by trade, and now a married man, which has been frequently before the Court, was again called on. The plaintiff sues defendant for -the maintenance of her child, of which he has been declared the father.

His Worship, addressing defendant who is a young fellow of unusual stature wanted to know how much ho had earned since ho was last in Court. He replied that he had not earned a single shilling, as he had neither horse nor cart. His Worship cynically remarked, "I'm afraid you're humbugging me and this woman too, and that you really want to go to Mount Eden." Defendant earnestly answered, " Indeed I do not," and Mr. Kettle's rejoinder was, " Well, you're getting perilously close up, and you'll go there if you don't pay this money. I believe you're very much disinclined to pay, and that you'll go right up to the door of the prison before you do." t Then plaintiff, who had been standing by the box fidgetting nervously, took a hand : " He's at the races every day!" she said.

The magistrate sternly asked defendant if this were true, and no replied that he had been twice at racemeetings and once at the "trots," but added that ho had made no bets and had only spent 3s for admission, and that was on holidays. Moreover, he only had one drink, and that was bought for him by a friend. His Worship said the onus was upon the defendant to satisfy the Court that the disobedience of the order was excusable, and he had not done so. He would be sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour, the warrant to be suspended until further order of the Court. If tho police satisfied the Court that he was loafing and loitering about for the next few weeks the warrant would at once be issued.

Then Mrs. Seager again broke in with " This man's wife was down to see me on Saturday last and wanted. me to take £40 in a lump sum and settle the matter." His Worship : " Well, I think you'd better take it.

Defendant : I can get a man to stand behind me for some £50.

Mr. W. E. Hackett said he had been consulted by defendant's wife who, it appeared, was one of the last persons to receive any money from the Relief Fund, which was established for the relief of the sufferers by the wreck of the s.s. Penguin. He had advised her to make an offer of £40 in full settlement.

Mrs. Seager : No. I won't accept £40. "He's robbed me of over £200.

His Worship suggested that the parties should confer on the matter, and the case was allowed to stand over until further order of the Court.