POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19513, 17 December 1926, Page 17

POLICE COURT NEWS.

DEBT INCURRED BY FRAUD. BOOKING ROOMS AT A HOTEL. TWO YOUNG MEN'S OFFENCE. Charges of incurring a debt by fraud bv obtaining accommodation to the value of 8:i 9d were admitted in the Police Court yesterday by .Leslie Fortescue Lumby, aged 20, and Cecil Wiikam Pickett, also aged 20. Sergeant Cahvell said accused had recently arrived in. .Auckland from Christchurch. On the journey they met a man named Grant, who told them the name of the hotel where he was staying in Auckland. A few days later they went to the hotel and booked rooms. One said he had no money at the time, but would get some when the bank opened in the morning, although he knew he had no account at the bank. The other .said Mr. Grant would pay for him.. Accused also went to a merchant and obtained some samples for canvassing, and got an advance from him. When arrested "they still had the samples and had apparently done no work. The magistrate, Mr. Hunt, remanded accused until to-day to enable further inquiries to be made. ANOTHER CHANCE GIVEN "Guilty this time, Your Worship," said James llussell Hunter, aged 40, when charged with vagrancy. Chief-Detective Cummings said accused had been leading an idle life for the past three weeks. He had been associating with thieves and undesirables. Be had been sentenced to one month's imprisonment at Waihi on October 20. He was a bad thief in his younger days, but had reformed for about 20 years. He was now falling away again. He got a job on Wednesday. It was the first time he had done any work outside of gaol for a long time. He worked for a few hours and then downed tools and left. He was an excellent builder's labourer, and could command a job at any time if he liked. It would be much better for him if he kept better company. Accused asked for another chance, stating that he had been making good money in the country, and had come into town and "gone on the bust." He had left his job on Wednesday because of an old grievance with another employee. He had a job to go to in Arizac Avenue and would keep better company in future. "You are a big strong man," said the magistrate. "I do not like to send you to gaol. You will be ordered to come up for sentence if called upon. There is six months' waiting for you if you do not get a job." AN UNPROVOKED ASSAULT. Arthur Mullins, aged.27, pleaded guilty to being drunk in Queen Street and assaulting Laurence Hennessy. Sergeant Calwell said accused assaulted a man quite without provocation, The man was reading a newspaper when accused asked a question about a train. The question was answered, and accused then used abusive language and assaulted the man, Accused had twice previously been before the Court on charges of drunkenness. A fine of ss, in default 24 hours' imprisonment, was imposed on the first . charge, and a fine of £2, or seven days' imprisonment, on the second charge.. ALLEGED THEFT OP IRON. Five charges of stealing 30 cases of galvanised corrugated iron, valued at £535 16s 3d, were brought against Arthur Russell Whewell, aged 42, and a youth, aged 19, whose name was suppressed. A remand was made until January 17, bail being fixed at £250 in the case of the elder accused, and at £IOO in the case of the younger. OTHER CASES. A plea of guilty was made by Peter James Stiles to a charge of stowing away on the steamer Kaitoke at Suva on December 12. - Accused was remanded for a week for sentence,. „ William Gerald Cain pleaded not guilty to a charge of indecently assaulting a boy aged 11, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.