POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16022, 14 September 1915, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

FAILURE TO PAY A FARE. TRAM PASSENGERS' DUTY. A chabge of travelling on an Auckland Tramways Company's car without paying his fare was preferred against a man named Michael Malone, before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday.

Evidence was given by a tramcar inspector and two tram conductors that the defendant boarded the car in question at Newmarket. A conductor, who was not on duty at the time, said the man travelled to Mountain Road, where he alighted without paying his fare. The inspector was informed, and the defendant was followed. When approached, the defendant proffered a penny, and gave his name and address.

The defendant said that when he boarded the tramcar on the day in question he stopped on the platform because the compartments appeared to be full. He had the penny in his hand, but was so engrossed with his own affairs that he did not think of proffering the coin to the conductor. He had no intention of defrauding the comnany, and gave every assistance to the inspector.

The magistrate said the public must recognise that it was just as much their duty to proffer their fare as it was the duty of the conductor to ask for ft. Defendant was convicted and was ordered to pay the costs, £1 lis.

MISCELLANEOUS. - A fine of £2 was imposed on a carter named James May (Mr. Rodgerson) for cruelly ill-treatinij a horse by working it with a sore shoulder. A charge of deserting from the ship Hurunui was preferred against James Brassington. The accused was ordered to be placed on board the ship at Wellington. An elderly man named Samuel Jackson was charged with indecent exposure. After hearing evidence, the magistrate said it was clear to him that the offence had some relation to drink. The accused was sentenced to seven days* imprisonment, and was prohibited. A first-offending female for drunkenness was ordered to forfeit her bail, 10s. A seaman "named Walter Porter admitted that he had been arrested three times for drunkenness within six months. He was convicted and fined 10s, with an alternative of 48 hours' imprisonment. A Maori named Joe Hoterene smilingly pleaded guilty to a second charge of drunkenness within the statutory period. He was allowed to go without the imposition of a fine. Arthur Edward Hill pleaded guilty to charges of drunkenness, breaking his prohibition order, and entering licensed premises. The defendant admitted that he had been previously convicted of drunkenness since the issue of his prohibition order. The defendant was ordered to Roto Roa Island for a term of 12 months.