POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15849, 20 February 1915, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

dress-basket pawned

CHARGE OF THEFT LAID

Two men, James O'C.radv and Peter McDonagli, came into Auckland for the j holidays at the beginning of the year, and , went on a drinking bout together. Mc- ] Donagli had some difficulty in obtaining a lodging, and he and O'Grady walked , about the town, the former car ving with ( him a dress-basket, the contents "of which • "eie -valued at £5. Finding some trouble in carrying this basket about, O'Grady ■ suggested that it might be pawned with , advantage. McDonagh, according to • oGiad\, consented to this course Deing adopted, ;uid 17s 6d was obtained for it. , At the close of the drinking bout Mc- j Donagh denied having g.ven his compamon permission to pii>vn the goods, witn the result that yesterday O'Grady was charged in the Police Court with the theft • of the basket. He pleadel gui'.tv. The -chief detective explained the cir-cumstanr-s of the case, saying that it was . U Grady s word against that of McDonagh, : the former maintaining that, he had been : given permission to pawn the goods, and the latter denying that he had given such I permission. The chief detective a ided thai he would prefer to believe O'Gr tdv. Mr. F. V. Frazer, &.M., said that as both the men were under the influence of liquor at the time of the transaction the | account of the circumstances given by ea, h I was equally valueless. There would be no ; conviction for theft recorded against OGradv, but as a matter of justice he vvouid have to redeem the pawned goods, and return McDonagh. This' O'Grady undertook to do, so he w,i; can't discharged. DISORDERLY HOUSE. The police having kept a house in Grey Street under observation for some time past, two —Teenie Allen and Elsie Harcourt—were charged yesterday, Allen with allowing the premises to be used for immoral purposes and Harcourt with assisting in the management. Each woman was also charged with vagrancy. They denied the charges. Mr. J. R. Lundon appearing 1 for them. In convicting the accused, His i orship said that Grey Street had been a ! plague spot for years, and he was glad I - that the police had been successful in ' rooting one more disorderly house. , He would like to warn the keepers of such houses that they might expect gaol every time, without the option of a tine. The woman Allen was sentenced to two ■ months' and Harcourt- to one month's im- I . prisonment with hard labour. |

BY-LAW BREACHES. Whilst testing the engine of a 50 horsepower motor-car along the Manuka u Road, Parnell, John Crawford attained a speed approximating 40 miles an hour, at the same time passing a tramcar at an excessive speed. Consequently he was summoned to the Police Court yesterday. His Worship characterised the "case as" a bad one, telling the defendant, a recent arrival from Sydney, that such behaviour was not allowed in Auckland. A fine of £ and 25s costs was imposed. " It does not do to piny the fool with the po.ice. Additional trouble for them means an additional fine for you," was His Worship's remark to Frederick White, who had refused his name to a constable after driving too quickly across the intersection of Queen and Victoria Streets. A tine of 10s and 7s was imposed. Alexander Donovan and Frank Colling wood, who had committed the same offence, but without any aggravating circumstances, were each fined 5s and 7s costs. Having driven his motor-car after sunset without having a rear light on it, George Bates was fined 5s and 7s costs. INTEMPERANCE. A fine of 5s was imposed upon three first offenders, who were convicted of insobriety. Alexander Thompson and George Harold Mood were each fined £2, with the alternative of seven days' imprisonment, the former having broken a prohibition order by getting drunk, and the latter having committed an indecent act whilst under the influence of liquor. A woman named Ada Laffoley was committed to Pakatoa for 12 months' reformative treatment