POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15521, 31 January 1914, Page 7

POLICE COURT NEWS.

OVERCROWDED FERRY BOAT.

TRIPPEKS TAKE POSSESSION.

THE CAPTAIN PROSECUTED.

When returning from Bayswater on the evening of January 4 the Pupuke carried a greater number of passengers than she is licensed to carry, and in consequence, the master of the vessel, James Davies, appeared at the Police Court yesterday before Mr*. P. V. Frazer, S.M.

Evidence was given by Customs officers proving that 919 passengers were carried, and the license allowed for only 738. They had drawn the defendant's attention to the overcrowding, and he had attempted to get some of the people to return to the wharf, but only 34 did so. Mr. Brown, for the defendant, stated that overcrowding was admitted, but explained that it was not due to profitmaking. The trippers were hungry, tired, and impatient, ' and were anxious to get home.,. . •' Mr. Frazer, on hearing evidence that the overcrowding could not have affected the stability of the boat, entered a fine of £2 and costs, but remarked that in the case of an accident the danger would be greatly accentuated if a boat was overcrowded.

ILL-TREATING A HORSE. "It was a most unmerciful beating," said R. G. Applegarth, in giving evidence against John Collett, who was charged with having ill-treated a horse on January 8. The horse was tho leader of a twohorse dray (earn, he continued, and on the hill in Hobson Street had turned round so that it was facing in the opposite direction to the animal in the shafts. The defendant apparently lost his temper, and, striking the animal on the forelegs and rump with the handle of his whip, raised big weals. The defendant said that the horse had jibbed, and the punishment he gave it was deserved. Mr. Frazer said that he was satisfied that the punishment had been unnecessarily cruel, and imposed a fine of £2 and costs. . OBSTRUCTING STREETS. Two well-known labour speakers, Charles T. Reeves and John O'Brien, were charged, under the by-laws, '= with having caused an obstruction at the intersection of Queen Street and Market Entrance on January 18 by speaking. The obstruction was denied by both defendants, who stated that they had made previous inquiries from the town clerk and had been told that the streets. in which speaking was. prohibited were Xjuay Street ,and those in which there were tram lines, and that Market Entrance, being a quiet > thoroughfare, was suited totheir purpose.' ~~; ■ Mr. Frazer said that he .was satisfied that the defendants bad endeavoured to avoid any breach of the by-laws, but, as was shown by the facts, an obstruction had taken place. He advised them' in future to move further up Market Entrance so that people in Queen Street would hot be tempted to stand still and cause an obstruction. Each defendant was ordered to pay ,7s costs. ."■•■•', - • ■■■'*". Reeves indicated that he' would not pay the costs. '' ; -,V\ •' -• *~ - ' TOBACCO NOT DECLARED; >..$.. ~- A fireman -on the s.s. Kumara, : named William Bryan, was charged t with having been found with six "ounces of tobacco in his possession, which v he had. not "declared" to the Customs. ' ' .""".;'■:■ *" Mr, J., Ridings, who prosecuted for the Customs Department, stated that the tobacco was , found concealed under the accused's mattress. >-Half a pound of tobacco, not included in this quantity, had been " declared " by the defendant. There was ho suggestion that,"the; tobacco-'was other than for his own use. : v ■..•• Bryan said that had forgotten that he had: this,quantity under his mattress; :+ Mr. Frazer imposed a fine of treble the value of the goods, 25s 6d, but under the' Act reduced it to lOs/and costs 7s. ic;-? -, ; ILLICIT OYSTER-PICKING. The. Marine Department"; took action' against Percy Stephens and Frank Ryan (Mr. Baxter) for having picked oysters at Rockey . Bay, Waiheke, on December 28. A •■■ plea of guilty was entered ■ by . Mr. Baxter, .who said that the defendants be-1 longed to a launching party, and had not committed the "offence' for the purpose of i gain. • -, •- . Mr. J. Ridings, for the Department, said that it r was the usual, class of case, no I suggestion being made that gain was I" the object of the defendants.. A fine of £2 was imposed upon each defendant. /-'.':. ,:J' : -.' Charged similarly with having, picked oysters on January 1 at '■;, Awaros a Bay, Norman Owen was fined, the same amount. INSOBRIETY.' Six ..first offenders were ; dealt- with in the usual way. Thomas . Madden -/alias Coleman .' and Thomas Toppin : were -each' fined,£l for-procuring liquor, during the currency of their prohibition orders. '« .j? ._ For committing an indecent ! act while in a state; of intoxication, James Blakeley was fined £2 under the by-laws.-V 1 •- - MISCELLANEOUS CASES. ■ . William J. Wilson, who did not appear was fined £4 and costs, in default one month imprisonment, on. a charge of using threatening behaviour during the strike The evidence, was to. the effect that the accused had pulled goods off a dray '-- v -'■ ' Joseph Henry Barnett was, remanded J on a charge of failing to provide mainten-1 ance for his wife and children. - = ;>-.H-;i i ■ A remand for a week was granted in the I case of Alfred Robert Curtk, wn*2 charged with having failed to.comply with ton North robat * Palmers-j Charles Armstrong, who has been'remanded a number of times on the charj remS e i^* dL^?U^^S8 i For leaving a motor-car unattended, Alfred Oscar Otto was fined 5s and TV' TTprwf 6 « hav l ng obtained .£3 frcm Herbert A. Boyes, by means of false pretences m May, 1912, was made agalart Charles Palmer alias Frank Buckland who was remanded until Thursday ' The youth named Francis P. Silva who was previously charged with breaking fid entering the Nurses' Residential Hub' and who was remanded for medical obs-v* twn, again appeared before the! Con-t be medical officer's report was not favourable, and the prisoner was further remanded for examination as to his i ratal condition.