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New Zealand Mail, 22 April 1887, Page 24

An articled seaman named James Norris, belonging to the s.s. Arawa, was charged at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday week with assaulting Thomas Moffat, chief officer of the steamer. From the evidence it appeared that the accused went on shore last Tuesday, and on returning to his ship was intoxicated. The boatswain and complainant endeavored to get the accused into the forecastle, when he drew a sheath knife and said he would do for any than who interfered with him. Complainant tried to get the man below quietly, when he suddenly hit the chief officer en the head with his closed hand. Another of the seamen named Thomas Flynn was also charged with assaulting one of the petty officers of the steamer by catching hold of him and throwing him on the deck. His ’Worship •sentenced Norris to two months’ imprisonment with hard labor, and Flynn to one month with hard labor. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court last Friday judgment was given for the plaintiffs with costs in the following cases : —T. Gingell v L. Nimmo, claim £4; J, Kinnerhan v L. Nimmo,£4; W. C. Chatfield v Mrs Honghton, £ls 15s. Robert Morley, barman at the Club Hotel, was charged at the Resident Magistrate s Court on Saturday with having stolen, on Friday, a bottle of whiskey and one pound •of oandles, the property of his employer, Jacob Lichtscheindl. Accused pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with hard.labor. —. Helen Robertson Copeland, a middle-aged and respectable looking woman, was charged before Captain Williams and E. Baker, Justices, on Saturday, with having broken and entered the premises of George Webb, grocer, Adelaide-road, on Friday night, and stealing therefrom sundry goods to the value of 4s 4d. Mr Pownail defended the accused. Mr Fuller, the manager of the shop, who slept on the premises, stated that he heard the back door open, but thinking that it was hi 3 assistant, who also slept on the premises, took no notice of the noise. "W. Laaey, the assistant, stated that he entered the premises about 11 o’clock, and found the accused in the kitchen with a box of figs and a tin of herrings laying on the floor close to her. Aeeused, who reserved her defence, was committed for trial. Bail was fixed at £9o—herself in £SO and two sureties of £2O each. Messrs Le Grand Campbell, J. Collins, . And W. Dawson occupied the Bench at the

Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning. James Clarke was charged with the larceny of a pair of blankets, value 15s, the property of Alexander McDonald, baker, Manners-street, and pleaded not guilty. The evidence went to show that the accused, who was in the employ of the piosecutor until a week ago, went to the place, and took away some blankets. The prosecutor, in company with Detective Chrystal, subsequently found two blankets. in the accused s possession, which he identified as his property. A witness named Andrew Reid gave evidence to hearing a man named Jack Reid give the accused permission to take some blankets away, but did not think they. were the same as those stolen. The prisoner stated that one of the employes had given him permission to take a pair of blankets away. The Bench were of opinion that there was a doubt as to whether the accused had taken the blankets with felonious intent, and they would give him the benefit of it. The accused was accordingly discharged. A first offender, for drunkenness, was dealt with in the usual way. Leonard Tyler pleaded guilty to a charge of having trespassed on a Government railway carriage, and was fined ss, or in default 24 hours’ imprisonment. Denis Mcßenney, for driving through the city without a light, was fined 10s and costs. Albert Fiebeg was fined 5s for having lighted a fire in the open air without having first obtained permission. Henry Cole and George Nicholls, for allowing their horses to wander, were each fined 5s and costs. A similar charge against Robert Somerville was adjourned for a week. This was all the business. At Pahautanui on Monday, before Messrs F. Bradey and O. Lynch, J.P.’s, William Cook was charged with stealing a bridle. Mr Devine appeared for the accused, and after evidence had been taken the case was remanded till the 27th instant, at Wellington. A man named Floyd, who was charged with stealing 100 cartridges from Smith’s Hotel, at Porirua, was also defended by Mr Devine, and that case was dismissed. The Justices of the Peace who presided at a sitting of the Court at Pahautanui on Monday were nonplussed by the non-appearance of two witnesses, residents of Wellington, who wero concerned in a case that was being heard. Their Worships debated their power to issue warrants in the matter and to force the attendance of the witnesses ; but in the absence of any definite legal status as far as they could see, they decided that it was at any rate within their jurisdiction to exercise an Englishman’s privilege and grumble. They accordinglv animadverted very strongly upon the conduct of the witnesses who had not answered to their names. Messrs J. Dransfield and J. Dunn, Justices, presided at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning. A Maori named More Porata was fined 5s or, in default, 24 hours’ imprisonment for being drunk while in charge of a vehicle on Lambton-quay on Monday night. This was the only criminal case. In civil cases judgments for plaintiffs were given as follow : —Scott Bros. v. David Mewett, £1 17s lid, costs 7s; Edwin Pollard v George Dorney, £5 Ss, coats 10s; Wilson and Richardson v James A. Jury, £7, costs, 13s; Castendyk and Focke v P. B. Anderson, £l2 3s, costs £2 Is ; Cate Bros, v James Nicholls, £ll 19s B<f, costs £2 Is. In'the case of F. Gross v James J. Speight, a claim of £1 3s for cab hire, judgment was given for the defendant. An order was made against Richard Taiaroa, at the suit of C. Ludwig and Son, for payment of £2 5s 6d in 14 days, or in default 14 days’ imprisonment. Messrs G. S. Graham, E. T. Gillon, S. R. Dransfield, and J. R. George, Justices, occupied the Bench at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning, Two first offenders for drunkenness were punished in the usual manner. John Cahill pleaded guilty to a charge of using profane language at the railway station. The Justiees took a lenient view of the matter and discharged the prisoner with a caution. A charge against William Sheen of having used obscene language, was also dismissed, the evidence not supporting the charge. Before the charges against Elizabeth and Joseph Dunstan Trennery, of having received stolen property from the convict Crabtree, were called on in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon, Inspector Browne asked Mr Wardell, R.M., to further remand the accused. He wished to recall Crabtree, but as there is no Judge in Wellington at the present time, he was unable to procure a writ of habeas corpus to enable Crabtree to appear. Mr Skerrett, counsel, for the defendant, strongly opposed the application. After some argument his Worship granted a remand till Friday, at 2 p.m. Two little children named Charles Robert Petersen and Alice Maud Petersen, aged 4§ and 3 years respectively, were brought before Mr Warded, R.M., on Wednesday, and charged with being neglected children. The poor little waifs presented a truly pitiable appearance. On the application of Inspector Browne, the children were committed to the Burnham Industrial School, to be brought up in the Church of England faith.