POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19508, 11 December 1926, Page 15

POLICE COURT NEWS.

PILLAGING OF CARGO. A DONKEYMAN AND GREASER. TWO MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT. William Patrick Spencer, aged 40, and Henry Richard Reeves, also aged 40, appeared for sentence at the Police Court before Mr. F. Iv. Hunt, S.M., yesterday on a charge of stealing llvds. of serge valued at £9, the property of the New Zealand Shipping Company. Spencer was also charged with stealing 10yds. of finishing cloth and three yards of serge, valued at £l2, the property of the same company.

The chief detective said Spencer was a donkeyman and Reeves a greaser on the steamer Tekoa. After the vessel's arrival at Auckland a wharfinger found that the contents of a case had been tampered with and that 125£ yds. of cloth, valued at £l2O, were missing. , From another case 75yds. of cloth, valued at £7O, were missed. In a tunnel on the vessel 65yds. of cloth were found hidden, and this, with the 10yds. taken by Spencer, made up the contents of one case. When arrested Spencer had £7 14s iin his possession and Reeves £1 10s. Considerable damage had been done to the contents of the cases. The Tekoa would not leave New Zealand until January 29.

Accused were each sentenced to two months' imprisonment and ordered to be placed on board their ship if she sailed in the meantime. They were ordered to pay £7 each in respect of the damage to the cloth. i ALLEGED THEFT OF IRON. Two charges of stealing tons of galvanised iron, valued at £IOB 10s, the property of John Burns and Company, Ltd., on December 8, and of stealing 2i, tons of galvanised iron, valued at £J7 10s, also the property of John Burns and Company, on November 17, were brought against Benjamin Addington Reston, aged 43, and Robert Lamb, aged 42. Lamb was alternatively charged with receiving the stolen property knowing it to have been dishonestly obtained. On the application of Chief-Detective Cunimings a remand was granted until next Thursday, Bail was fixed at £250, with one surety of £250 in Lamb's case and at £IOO in Reston's case. CHARGES OF VAGRACY. "She is a menace to the community," said Senior-Sergeant Edwards, when Edith Jordan, aged 37, was charged with vagrancy. Constable Birch said he had known accused for a month, and as far as he knew she did no work. She was always in trouble, and when arrested she said that she had no employment. She had three halfpence in her possession. Sergeant Flanagan said accused stated that she was in receipt of money from a fireman on a ship which was on its way to New Zealand. He intended to marry her on his arrival. Accused had been' hanging about the wharves and the lower part of Queen Street. The senior-sergeant said accused had twice been convicted for vagrancy, twice for being a rogue and vagabond, and also for being idle and disorderly, and an incorrigible rogue. Accused said she would go to Rotorua immediately if given a chance. She had a job to go to. Mr. Hunt: Yes. I have got a job for you, too —three months. It will keep you out of the way. Charges of vagrancy were also brought against Claude Allen, aged 25, and Reginald Stay, aged 28. The senior-sergeant said the accused had been sleeping out and had done very little work. Accused were convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within six months, being warned by the magistrate to find work. TAXI-DRIVERS' DISPUTE. As a result of a dispute between two taxi-drivers on the rank in Quay Street. Frederick George Allen, aged 23, was charged with using obscene language, and Thomas Lionel Grice, aged 25, was charged with assaulting Allen. The magistrate warned accused that such behaviour might result in the cancellation of their licences, and imposed a fine of £2 with costs/in default seven days' imprisonment, on each. RAILWAY CROSSINGS. For failing to stop before coming in contact with the railway line Albert Charles Lamb, a bus driver (Mr. Sullivan), was convicted and ordered to pay costs totalling £9 lis. The magistrate stated that in future he would cancel the licences of busdrivers convicted of this offence. On a similar charge Charles Cooke, a lorry driver, was fined £3. . OMISSION OF AN IMPRINT. A charge of printing a paper headed "Workers Led Astray," and omitting to print thereon the name of the printer, was brought against Wilson and Horton, Ltd. (Mr. Mellsop). George Pollock (Mr. Terry) was charged with assisting in publishing the pamphlet. It was ad mitted that by an oversight the imprint had been omitted. The matter was a reprint of a cable that had already been published in the Herald. Mr. Terry, who appeared for Pollock, said his client was the innocent victim of circumstances. He looked at the pa,mphlets, but did not notice the absence of the printer's name. The magistrate said an offence had been committed and he would inflict the minimum fine of £5 on each defendant. MISCELLANEOUS OFFENCES. A fine of £5 was imposed on William Brodie on a charge of assaulting his wife, Cecilia Brodie, bv striking her. Half the fine was ordered to be paid to the complainant. John Adeane was fined 10s, with costs £1 ss, for using insulting language in Pitt Street. For casting offensive matter in the street, Thomas Lloyd, aged 37, and Leo McMahon were each fined £2.