POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19486, 16 November 1926, Page 16

POLICE COURT NEWS.

A SEAMAN IN TROUBLE. "HE IS TOO LAZY TO WORK." TWO MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT." Described by the police as a convicted thief who was too lazy to work, Hugh Johnston, aged 29, denied a charge of vagrancy in the Police Court yesterday. Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., was on the Bench. " I know accused very well, and he is a man who will not work," said Detective McHugh. "He is a seaman, and although there is not much employment for seamen at present, most of those out of work can obtain jobs round the waterfront. Complaints have been made about this man and his mates waiting like wolves round the doors of the shipping offices for men who are being paid off. They hang around these men, living on their generosity until their money is gone. 1 " Accused has boon about, hotels everv day half drunk. He went to Sydney some weeks ago, but stowed away and came back, ayd has been out of work ever since. Ho caused a disturbance in the Government shipping office recently and broke a door, which has not been paid for yet." " I have got a lovely homo to go to," said accused. "I came here seven weeks ago, and since then I have been on every ship that has entered port. I have been a trier for work, and there is no one moro willing, but I have been unfortunate. 1 admit I have been living on other seamen." Chief Detective Cummings: He is a convicted thief and is too lazy to work. The Magistrate: Well, he will not loaf for the next few weeks. Two months' imprisonment. SCENE IN RAILWAY ENTRANCE. ; "My mind was quite blank," said John Thompson, aged 45, in answer to a charge of being disorderly while drunk in the railwav statipu entrance. Constable Skinner said he saw accused in the railway station entrance shortly after five o'clock on Saturday evening. He was nnder the influence of liquor, and having taken off his coat he was making eff >rts to fight passers-by. When asked to go away ne refused and was arrested. Accused was fined £l, in default thref days' imprisonment. BREAKING AND ENTERING CHARGE. William Thomas, aged 35, was charged i with breaking and entering, the residence of Louis Moyrick, at 98, Arthur Street, Onehunga, and stealing a woman's purse, 5s in money, a gold sovereign case, a wristlet watch and a number of coins of a total value of £5. , , i . On the application of the chief detective, who said further charges were pending, accused was remanded until next Monday. MISCELLANEOUS CASES. " I do not even remember being locked up," said John McNeill, aged 31, when charged with drunkenness and using obscene language' on Queen's Wharf. He was fined ss, in default 24 hours* imprisonment on the first charge, and £2, m default 14 days' imprisonment, on the second. -Andrew Peterson was fined ss, in default 24 hours' imprisonment, for drunkenness, and £2, in default three days' imprisonment, for an indecent aci In connection with »i charge of being a rogue' and vagabond preferred against Georga Hibbtens, aged 48, accused elected to be tried in the Supreme Court anil was remanded in custody;