POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15549, 5 March 1914, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

INCIDENT AT WHITFORD,

The sitting of the Police. Court yesterday was presided over bv Mr. F. V. Frazer, s.m.

The charge of attempting to commit suicide was preferred against Herbert Babb. the date of the alleged offence being December 9. 1913, and the scene Whilford. The police evidence was to the effect that from about October 28 to December of last year, the accused had hi en in, th; 1 service of Mr. Kerr, a, farmer of Whitford. On December 8 he was given a half holiday. He had been drinking, but returned to work the following day. and walked about pretending to milk C'>ws. Klioi'.ly afterwards he went 'o his whare, where he was found by his employer in a drunken sleep. Mr. Kerr tlncw =cme cold water over his face to awaken him. Subsequently Babb returned to his work for a short time but was. not long in returning to the whare. Soon afterwards Mr. Kerr and a boy named Brown heard a shot fired, and proceeding to the whare they fotird | Babb fitting upright in hi? bunk, and a j discharged gun lv'ng on the floor near hir.i. : His face was badly shattered. It- appeared ■ that the man had been drinking, and that [ he had also had some worry over an attachment to a girl who was leaving the i district. i Accused in the first instance pleaded not j guilty, and to subsequent questions as to I whether his injuries were self-inflicted ! .vould retu/n no answer. The Magistrate : I hope you have no wish to try and shoot yourself again. Have you ? Accused : No. sir. Mr. Frazer said on that understanding Babb would be convicted and discharged, but he (the magistrate) thought it would ! be as well for him to take out a prohibiI tion order against himself. He would also have to try and pay, by instalments, the expenses of the case, which were rather heavy, the doctor's bill being six ruineas. Accused agreed to His Worship's sug- . gestions, and was discharged. NOT A DELIBERATE EVASION. " Very often people deliberately try to evade the Stamp Act but yours seems to have been a moderately innocent aH," said Mr. Frazer. in recording a fine of 10s and costs. 7s. again Elizabeth Preston, who was cliarged with having signed a receipt liable to dutythe amount in question being £2 ss— wftuout duly stamping the same, on July 26. 1913. Chief-Detective MeMahon mentioned that there were some extenuating circumstances which made this not, perhaps, a wilful breach of the law.

PASSENGERS ANNOYED. A disturbance on the ferry steamer Albatross resulted in the appearance of Alexander Mardonald to answer a dual charge of being disorderly while drunk, and using obscene language on the steamer. Accused admitted the Bret charge, but said he had no recollection of the bad language. The police testimony showed that among some thirty passengers on the steamer were several ladies, who complained of the language used by the accused. A fine of £3. with the alternative of seven days' imprisonment, was imposed. BY-LAW CASES. A number of by-law cases were dealt with, H. Murdo'Mclver, charged with driving a motor-car round the corner of Victoria Quadrant and Lower Symonds Street at other than a walking pace on February 24, was convicted and fined £1 and costs. Inspector McGrath remarking that it was rather a bad case, the car being driven round the corner at about twenty-five or thirty miles an hour. William Walker, on a charge of driving a motor-car along the 'Khyber Pass Road at a speed exceeding 10 milee an hour, was fined a similar amount, the police having stated that defendant admitted a speed of 20 miles an hour, though the actual speed was considerably more than that. The magistrate commented on the danger of driving at such a speed, especially in a thoroughfare like the Khyber Pass Road.

For driving a vehicle on the footpath at Takapuna a fine of 5s and. costs was imposed upon Samuel Swinburn. Thos. John Mason and Hugh Robb were similarly penalised for riding bicycles .on, the footpath at Hurstmere Road, Takapuna. Wm. McKee, chafed with leaving a vehicle unattended in Broadway, Newmarket, and also with driving the same vehicle without a light, explained that lie was away from the dray longer than he had intended. He was fined 10s and costs on the first charge, and in the second case an order was made for the payment of 7s costs.

A misunderstanding of the police constable's signal was the explanation given by Robert Keenan, who was charged with driving a cab across an intersection of Queen and Customs Streets at other than a walking pace. He said he saw the constable with uplifted hand, and thought the sign was meant to indicate that he was t> drive quickly across the section. Mr. Frazer said the explanation appear feasible, and Keenan would therefore ba convicted and discharged.

INTEMPERANCE. Mary Wakeham was charged with being drunk on the railway station, and wit£ breaking her prohibition order.' She admitted having had some drink, but denied being drunk. The police evidence was to the effect that it took two constables to get the woman into a cell. The police matron, called at the wish of the accused, said the woman had had some drink but was not very drunk, though she did want to hit the constables. His Worship raid the woman would be convicted and discharged on the drunkenness charge, and would be convicted and fined £1 for the breach of her prohibition order. Another woman, who in reply to & charge of drunkenness, made the plea that she was subject to fainting fite, of which this was one. was fined ss, with the alternative of 24 hours' imprisonment. Four first offenders wore convicted and fined 5s each. Found drunk in Customs Street, being at the time a' prohibited person, Peter' Petersen was convicted and discharged iri respect- of the first charge, and Tor disobeying the prohibition order, he was fined £2, with (lie alternative of seven days' imprisonment. Harold Lewis Ingram admitted being drumk in Victoria Street the previous day, and was convicted and fined 10s. That they as prohibited persons procured liquor was alleged against Geo. Hurst Moody and Jas. McQuoid. Each was fined £2 and costs.