BUSY DAT IN COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15519, 29 January 1914, Page 5

BUSY DAT IN COURT.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

"IT WAS OVER A GIRL."

MOTORISTS AND BY-LAWS.

"It was over a girl," said George H. W. Lowell, a young man of 22, who pleaded guilts at the Police Court yesterday to having attempted to commit suicide by taking poison on January 19. "There is no use trying tq do away with, yourself because a girl won't have you, said Mr. Frazer, S-M. " There are just as good fish m the sea as ever came out of it, you know. You won't be foolish again; No, I won replied the ' accused. A relative of the young man undertook to look after him, and he was convicted and discharged, and ordered to pay £2 lis expenses.

UNATTENDED CARS. The charge of having left itiotor-cars standing unattended in the street without reasonable excuse was preferred against, George Henning, George Parimu, W. J. Hood. J. J. Evans, and Douglas Jack, all of whom were fined 5s and costs 7s. Mr. Frazer remarked that the charges seemed to be new ones. Sub-Inspector. Johnston said that., they were laid in consequence of complaints received. It is just as well that the police should' take action so that car owners may know that they cannot leave their cars standing id tie streets for an-j length of time," remarked the magistrate.

LEGALITY OF BY-LAW. A legal defence was set' up by H. S. Wilson (Mr. Bagnall), who was charged with having driven a motor-car over the intersection of Queen and WeHesley Streets at a greater speed than eight miles an hour. Mr. Stanton appeared for the prosecution. Mr. Bagnall submitted that all by-laws controlling. or regulating the speed of motor-cars must be made subject to the Motor Regulations Act, 1908, which provides that such by-laws should be advertised three times, and that rotices should be erected giving the nature of the bylaw, which had not been done in the present case. Mr. Frazer held that only by-laws applying specially to motor-cars had to be made under this Act. In a general bylaw a motor-car was classed as a vehicle. Section 4 of the Act applied only to bylaws limiting or . restricting the use of motor-cars, and the by-law under which the charge was laid really extended rather than restricted, for instead of a walking pace, the speed of eight miles was provided. The.City Council, he added, had done tho right thing by a somewhat devious expedient. A fine of 10s, and costs 28s, was entered.

IMPROVEMENT NECESSARY. The defence of Phillip Canning (Mr. Bagnall), when charged with, having driven a motor-car across the intersection of Svmonds Streets and Karangahape Road at a greater speed than eight miles per hour, and failing to stop when signalled. to do so by a , constable, was that he could not see the signal on account of the dazzling light' of a 'bus ahead of him. and that he had to put on speed to get across the car line to escape being 'run into bv a car. The second charge was dismissed, and a fine of 10s, and costs 16s, was imposed on the other. _ The magistrate remarked that he believed that under certain conditions thesignal of constables- would be hard to discern, and suggested that something might dona by the City Council to improve the arrangements.

TECHNICAL VAGRANCY. • -• Seven weeks-ago a man named Patrick Sullivan was sentenced by justices to three "months' imprisonment on the charge of vagrancy, but he applied for a rehearing, which was taken at the Court yesterday. He proved that he had money due to him on a metal-breaking contract in the country, though he had spent all the money in his possession on a drinking bout just before his arrest. Mr. Frazer said that the appellant was not a vagrant in an ordinary sense. Although technically guilty, "he had been working for some time, and his posit ; on was due to a drunken spree. In view of the fact that he ha/d served seven weeks of his sentence, he would lie discharged. INSOBRIETY. Two first offenders wore fined 5s or 24 hours. Gustave Jausen, for his second offence of drunkenness, was fined 10s or * 48 hours. • Mary Ann O'Brien, for drunkenness and a third breach of her order, was fined £3 or 14 days. ' Peter Foley (Mr. Singer) was charged with being drunk while in charge of a vehicle. The charge was denied, medical evidence "being given as to the condition of the man three-quarters of an hour after arrest. It was admitted that he had had two drinks that morning. A conviction was entered, the defendant being ordered to pay 16s expenses. MISCELLANEOUS. Francis. P. Silva, a youth, came before the Court' on the charge of breaking and entering the Nurses' " Residential Club. When questioned his replies were of such a nature that he was remanded for medical examination. The charge of failing to provide his wife with adequate means of maintenance was made against Augustus J. Coleman, of Christchurch, and an order for the payment of 15s weekly was made. A maintenance order of 15s weekly was made by consent against John T. Jeuo, for the support of his two children. Charles Donnelly, who did not appear, was fined £1 and costs 7s, for failing to drive his motor-car as near as practicable to the left-hand side of the road on December 19. On a second charge of having negligently driven a car across an intersection. he was convicted and discharged, as he had had to nav tor the damage done in a resultant collision. James R. Robertson was fined 10s and costs for driving, an insufficiently lighted motor-car.' The application of Edwin O. Sutcliffe for exemption under the Defence Act, was di c missed. on account of the non-appear-ance of the plaintiff.' A fine of £2 and costs 7s was imposed against the same man for failing to render personal service under \he Defonce Act. For the same offence, the following fines were imposed : —Svdney H. Cregorv £2 and costs-, P. Gunn £2 and costs. T. W. Gunn £-9 and costs, J. Porter. £2 and costs, G. Harris £2 and costs, A. A Traue 10s and costs.. H. J. Robinson 10s" and costs. H. R. Denize 5s and costs, and H. P. Casse, W. E. Newman, and R. E. Brown, costs.