RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 745, 11 June 1886, Page 14

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

The following civil cases were disposed of by Mr Wardell at yesterday week’s sitting of the Kesident Magistrate’s Court :—Judgment for plaintiffs—W. Earp vJ. McLean, £2 15s 6d, costs 6s ; Gear Meat Preserving Co. v D. Cameron, £5 5s 7d, costs 5s ; Furness and Boundy v G. S. Budge, £6 6b, costs £2 Is ; Wellington Meat Preserving Co. v J. Lingard, £9 14s, costs £1 3s ; H. H. Murdoch v T, KitapD, £3 4s, costa 6s. A. civil case oE interest alike to hotelkeepers and the travelling public was decided in the Kesident Magistrate’s Court last Friday. W. F. Howlett sued Mrs Bright licensee of the Princess Hotel, Molesworth-street, for £l6, value of clothing contained in a parcel left at the hotel. Defendant admitted that the goode were received at the hotel, but pleaded that she was not responsible for their safe custody, Mr Gully (for Mr M. Richmond) appeared for plaintiff, Mr Fitzgerald for defendant/ Evidence having been heard, his Worship held that reasonable care had

been exercised, and gave judgment for the defendant. The following judgments were given for pi ..intiffs at last Friday's sitting of the Resid arMagistrate’s Court :—E. Baker v T. Seymour, £24, costs £8 17s ; Carlo Antico v A. McDonald, £1 7s, ecsts 6s ; R. Witty v John Saunders, £5, without coats ; J. D. Baird v J. Muller, £24 16s Bd, costs £3 17s ; J. W. Helton v F. G. Moeller. 10s, costs 6s ; E. Barber v T. Seymour, £24, costs £3 17s. In the ca3e of Georgeson and Co. v H, Bennett; an order was made for payment of £8 15s 6d within 14 days, or in default 14 days’ im-

prisonment, _ . Afc the Resident Magistrate’s Court last Friday, before Mr H. S. Wardell, C. W. Seaton, alias Nicholson, pleaded guilty to the charge of being an idle, disorderly person without lawful visible means of support. In answer to the Bench, Inspector Shearman said the accused had eight previous convictions recorded against him, one conviction resulting in a sentence of four years’ penal servitude in September, 1880. Detective Campbell deposed that recently he had been living with a woman of the unfortunate class, whom hs illtreated. The woman had complained .to witness of prisoner’s treatment. Oh arresting him the previous day, prisoner attempted to escape. His Worship inflicted a penalty of three months’ hard labor. A well-dre3sed girl of 14 vears, named Margaret Weatham, pleaded guilty to stealing 7s in marked money from her employer, Arthur Gyles, fruiterer, of Cuba-street. The prosecutor deposed that, having missed several sums of money, he marked a number of coin’s, which were afterwards found in accused’s possession. His Worship ordered the girl to be detained until the rising of the Court, and afterwards to be sent to St Mary’s Industrial School, NelsoD, for one year. The prisoner was then removed in a very penitent condition. Two first offenders were fined 5s each, with the alternative of 24 hours’ imprisonment. This was all the criminal business. Mr Wardell, R.M-, intimated last Friday certain changes he proposed making in the conduct of the business at tbe Oourt. His Worship said he intended to appoint Tuesdays and Thursdays for civil business, instead

of Thursdays and Fridays, _ as heretofore. Wednesday would be set aside for criminal business requiring the attention of a Resident Magistrate ; ordinary criminal business would be °taben on Saturdays and Mondays by Justices ; but on Fridays he would take adjourned civil or criminal cases or those remaining over from the previous day. Under the contemplated alterations there would practically be three days for civil business, instead of two, as heretofore. M!r FitzGerald said that the proposal for Tuesday would be open to objection, as the Supreme Court usually sat in Chambers on that day. Mr Wardell observed that he would consult members of the bar before finally deciding, and would not have mentioned the matter on that occasion had the Clerk of the Court not casually alluded to it. _ Judgment was given in the President Magislast Friday afternoon in the long pending case of J. Gallie v. P. S. McDonald,, claim £ls for alleged wrongful deduction from an amount paid in the purchase of a business at Carterton. Mr Gully appeared tor plaintiff, Mr Jellicoe for defendant. Judgment was given for defendant with costs, his Worship saying that although the terms of the contract were that plaintiff should dispose of £4OO worth of book debts to the defendant at a reduction of 10 per cent, the debts oDly amounted to £250 in consequence of fictition entries being made. John Herman Kurshner (German John) was charged at the Resident Magistrate s Court on Saturday with befog a dangerous

lunatic. Constable McAnerio, who arrested accused, deposed to having found him wandering about the streets homeless and friendless, and in a semi-demented state. He was remanded. Patrick Minogue, a carter, was fined 10a without costs, for depositing a quantity of offensive matter near Point Jerningham, at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Saturdii At the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Saturday, before Messrs W. R. E. BrowD, R. M. Greenfield and J. Lachman, Justices, Denis Kelly, an old offender for drunkenness, was fined 10s or in default 48 hours imprisonment, No fewer than six first offenders were punished for drunkenness afc the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday with the usual penalty. One man who had been arrested on a charge of drunkenness and liberated on bail, failed to appear. A fine of £1 was inflicted. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning, before Inspector Shearman and Mr A. Le G. Campbell, Justices, Nicholas De Mowry and Peter Middlemore were charged with having feloniously stolen two rabbits, valued at Is 6d, the property of one Nicholas a fishmonger, Middlemore said he was unde^

the influence-of liquor, and did not remember having taken the rabbits, and Mowry- pleaded not guilty. Mr Nicholas not press the charge, the culprits were let off with the lenient fine of ss, or in default 24 hours imprisonment/.;'/ _ Two young girls, named Emma! Pratt, alias Walsh, and Jane Hobson, were charged at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning with being idle and disorderly persona without visible means of support. Pratt pleaded not guilty, the other admitted the charge. Constable Dunn gave evidence to the effect that the prisoners were in the Uubit of sleeping,, in eheds, and that the girl® were the associates of prostitutes. Detective Chrystal atri Constable McAnarin also gave evidence In support of tbe charge. The Bench sentenced the prisoners to a month s imprisonment/ George Harniss was charged at the Rest, dent Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning with having assaulted George Nicholas on Saturday last. He pleaded guilty. The prosecutor deposed that Harniss cams into his premises and struck him with a bottle. Accused having been under the influence of liquor at the time of the assault, prosecutor did not wish to press the charge. Harniss was fined 10s or indefault 24 hours’ imprisonment with hard labor. George Stevenson was also brought up on a charge of having assaulted Herman Brown on Saturday night. Mr Shaw..appeared for accused. He applied for a remand till next Saturday, as he had been unable to obtain necessary witnesses in 1 defence of the charge. The Bench agreed to the reqiuest. , , . A man named David Wbite was charged at the Gourt on Monday with having been drunk and disorderly in Willis-street on Saturday night. The evidence of Constable Ensor went to show that White had behaved in a most violent and* insulting manner to people passing up and down the street. He had : seized several women by the arm, and behaved altogether in a most blackguardly manner. He was fined £lp or in default three days’ imprisonment, and ordered to pay 5s expenses. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, before Mr Wardell, R.M., a first offender was fined ss, or 24 hours’ imprisonment in default, for drunkenness. For a like offence in the bar of the Bank Hotel, Manners-street, James Johnson was fined 10s, a previous conviction having been recorded against him. For using insulting language to Constable Stewart at the Newtown lock-up, Patrick Daley, who did not appear to answer the charge, was fined £1 10s, with costs £1 7s. Constable Stewart deposed that accused went to the Btation at Newtown, called to him to come out and receive a thumping, and addressed him by the most offensive names. His only motive for doing so, so far as the constable was aware, was that witness, in the execution of his duty, had impounded some of the accused’s cattle. Susanuah Hunt was found guilty of having used obscene language in Maori-row, and was sentenced to 14 days imprisonment. She was further charged with having assaulted Mary Sampson at the same time and place. There was also a crossaction between the two parties, in which Mrs Sampson pleaded guilty. The evidence disclosed that the latter was the aggressor, and that a scufflb took place between them. The charge against Hunt was dismissed, but Sampson received a sentence of seven days imprisonment witH hard labor, A miner named Matthew was charged at Tuesday's sitting of the Resident Magistrate’s Court with unlawfully wounding James Mclntyre with a “ miner’s candlestick ” on the 6th instant, at Pukerua. Mclntyre deposed that he and Johnston lived together in a whare at Pukerua. On the 6th instant a quarrel arose between them over their respective capabilities as workmen. They had a scuffle, during which witness felt himself stabbed in the left side, in the groin, and m the left arm. Witness cried out to his mates that he had been stabbed, and managed to get away from accused, uho inflicted another wound behind witness’ ear as he was running away. Accused followed him, but witness turned and knocked him down. Witness asked his mates to take the instrument away from the accused, but it could not be found. Dr Cahill described the wounds, which were partially healed, and not of a serious nature. The instrument produced, which had a sharp projection for sticking into the soil in workings, would produce such wounds. John McCredie, laborer, stated that he seized accused when Mclntyre said he was stabbed, but found no weapon on him. By consent the charge was amended to one of common assault, and Mr Wardell, after commenting on the possible consequences of accused’s conduct, sentenced him to two months imprisonment—the full term —and ordered him to find two sureties of £SO each to keep the peace for six months. Another warning to small boys addicted to stone-throwning was given in the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, when William Morrison pleaded guilty to throwing a stone at a dog in Lewisvilleterrace. Other witnesses, however, alleged that the missile struck a house, and, after receiving a stern reprimand from Mr Wardell, the young culprit was fined 2s 6d.