POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15767, 16 November 1914, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

SHOP-LIFTING CHARGE.

A plea of guilty was entered by Elizabeth McLaughlin, 39 years of age. who was charged at the Police Court on Saturday, before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., with stalling two pairs of sox and five ties, of a total value of 16s, the property of F. W. Gaze and Rendell and Co.

Senior-Sergeant Rutledge said that about eight o'clock on Friday night an assistant in Rendells and Co.'s shop saw the woman pick the ties tip and conceal them. She was taken to the office, and she admitted that she had stolen the ties, and produced also tho sox taken from F. W. Gaze's shop.

Mr. W. K. Hackett appeared for the accused, and stated that she had come from Dunedin only a. few weeks ago. Her husband was in the hospital there, and she had "a sevenyear-old boy to keep. She had been drinking, and had, in a. moment of weakness, given way to temptation.

His Worship said that such lapses on j the part of apparently respectable women l occasionally came under the notice of the Court, but as shop-lifting was becoming frequent the offenders must be punished. He fined accused £3, in default 14 days' imprisonment. STREET INCIDENT. \ A charge of assault was preferred against '< Alexander Stewart, aged oO years. The accused said he might have given Robert McDonald "a tap with his walking-stick." Evidence was given by a constable to tho effect that he saw the two men having an '• argument in the street on Friday night, j Stewart struck at the other man, who received the blow on his arm. They were both under the influence of liquor. Stewart was fined 20s. INTEMPERANCE. Two first offenders for drunkenness were fined ss. each, and one forfeited his bail. Another, who had required medical attention, did not appear, and was ordered to pay 9s 6d, tho difference, between the doctor's fee and the 20s bail. For obtaining liquor while prohibited, Harold L. Goode was fined 40s. Thomas Gu3sy admitted that he had used obscene language while under the influence of liquor, and was prohibited and fined 20s. MISCELLANEOUS. William Nash, who had been found sleeping on a vacant section in Victoria Street at 3 a.m. on Saturday, was charged with being an idle and disorderly person. Nash said he had work and money waiting for him at Maungaturoto, and was in town on holiday. His Worship directed that a telegram should .be sent to the map's employers. The senior-sergeant said Nash had no money with which to pay for the telegram. "I'll stand for the cost myself," said Mr. Frazer, and further made a prohibition order against the accused, and sentenced him to three days' imprisonment, so that he would be on the spot when the train left for Maungaturoto.

Bertram O'Connor. William James Buckley, and Robert Harriss. three territorials who are to go to the camp at Trentham, admitted breaking a small window, valued at ss. in a srion in Khvber Pass Road. His Worship said that they had evidently indulged in a fit of skylarking, which was unseemly conduct on the part of men in territorial uniforms. He ordered them to pay costs.