POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15250, 13 March 1913, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

CHARGES OF THEFT. A wblli-dbessbd man, Francis Lang, pleaded guilty before Mr. E. C. Cuttenj S.M., in the Police Court yesterday to a charge of having Btolen a carpet runner, valued at £1. Accused, it was stated, had been employed as a messenger in the auction-rooms of the Loan and Mercantile Company. From amongst the goods in the room accused took the carpet runner away to his home. Dishonesty in this way, it was said, caused the firm to lose many hundreds of pounds every year. When taxed with the theft, the accused at first denied all knowledge of the affair but subsequently confessed to the police. He was convicted and fined £5, and ordered to restore the stolen property. Ivy Molony, aged 22, pleaded guilty to the charge of the theft of a silver watch. It was stated that Wah Kee, a Chinese laundry-keeper, had left his watch on a bench in his shop whilst he went out between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. When he returned the watch was gone. Subsequently the police discovered that the watch, which was valued at £4 10s, had been pawned by the acoused for 13s. When arrested the accused was in another Chinaman's shop. She was convicted and sent to the' Salvation Army homo for 12 months. Of the money found upon her, 13s was ordered to be given to the pawnbroker, the watch to be restored to its ov>ner. A CHARGE DISMISSED. Samuel Little was charged with the theft of £6 15s, the property of Richard Henry Davis. The accused, who pleaded not guilty to the charge, was acting as foreman for the complainant, a contractor. A Mr. Carpenter at Birkenhead wanted some excavating done, and the complainant instructed the accused to do it. When the work was completed, Mr. Carpenter paid the accused £6 15s by cheque, and it was alleged that the accused had failed to account for this cheque to his employer. Accused admitted having received the cheque, but stated that he had paid it all away to men engaged in the work, which turned out to be a bigger job than anticipated. The prosecution alleged that the extra work was brought about by the accused's own fault, and that he had got no right to so dispose of the money without his employer's knowledge. After hearing much evidence, His Worship said that the position was quite clear. The accused had made a mistake in his work, and had wanted to hush it up. The £6 15s certainly did not belong to the accusedit wae either Mr. Davis's or Mr. Carpenter's. A conviction could not be recorded on the present charge, and the case would therefore be dismissed. DEFENCE, ACT DEFAULTERS. E. Foster was summoned on two charges having failed to attend parade. It was stated that the defendant had expressed his intention of going to Australia, but it had been discovered that he was still in Auckland. In the meantime he had not attended drills. He was convicted and fined £i and 7s costs on each of the two charges. A charge of interrupting and obstructing parade by refusing to attend to his drill was preferred against- J, de Lucca. Captain Wallingford stated that the defendant was the ringleader, of a gang of high-spirited youths, who upset the discipline and order of parades by refusing to obey orders. Defendant was admonished and convicted, being ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. 5 INTEMPERANCE. Convicted of drunkenness, one. first offender was discharged. Two others, who surrendered to their bail, were fined 5& each, while another, who did not appear, forfeited his £1 bail. Ada Warner, a second offender, was fined 10s, or 43 hours' imprisonment in default. Convicted of drunkenness and of a breach of his prohibition order, Benjamin Greenwood was fined £2 and costs, with seven days' imprisonment in default. Accused asked for time in which to pay, but his request was refused, as the police stated that he had not as yet paid a previous fine. William Postlethwaite, convicted of a breach of his prohibition order, was fined £1 and costs. William John Hamilton, convicted of being drunk for the fifth time within the last six months and also,of a breach of his prohibition order, asked to be sent to Roto Roa for 12 months, as he «. was killing himself by drink. The police stated that there were no fewer than 73 previous convictions against the accused. The magistrate decided that it was not a case for the island, and sentenced the accused to one month's hard labour. • MISCELLANEOUS. Convicted of having allowed his horse to wander at large in Karangahape Road, Charles Shivnan was ordered to pay 7s costs. He had already had to pay 5s 6d poundage fee. Pleading guilty to a charge of stowing away on the steamer Makura, between Honolulu and Auckland, a youth of 19, named Harry Wright, was remanded for a week. George James, a tall and gaunt individual with bare feet, was charged with vagrancy. He had been found wandering aimlessly about at Dargaville, nearly naked. It was suggested that the accused might be mentally defective. _ He was remanded for a week for medical observation. Imelda Cecilia Brennan, previously convicted of being an idle and disorderly person, was further remanded for a week pending inquiries in regard to sending her to a home.