RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 860, 24 August 1888, Page 24

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

A cjvil case was heard in the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday week by Mr H. W. Robinson, 8.M., in which Mr A. G. Manthel sued Mrs A. Smith for the sum of £SO as commission for selling the Commercial Hotel to the present licensee. Mr Brown appeared for the plaintiff and Mr Edwards for defendant. After hearing evidence, his Worship gave judgment for defendant, with costs £2 15s. Sir W. Fox, presiding on the bench at the Auckland Police Court the other day when the usual batch of drunken men were brought before him, said it had been the usual practice to give fine offenders ia the minimum penalty (ss) in cases of druukenness, but, as an old soldier, he did not believe in firing clank cartridges, but in letting the enemy have tbe bullet at once. He therefore, in the cases before him, imposed the full penalty, and for the first offenders he inflicted a fine of £1 and costs, or 48 hours’ imprisonment. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court, last Friday morning, before Mr H. W. Robinson, R.M., Daniel Dases and Joseph Watts, charged with drunkenness on the previous evening, were each fined £2, with 2s cab hire, or in default five days’ imprisonment. Samuel Berg, on remand, was charged with having refused to comply with a, maintenance

order for the support of his wife and child. The applicant was represented by Mr Bunny. His Worship adjourned the case for a fortnight in order to give the defendant an opportunity of complying with the order. The remanded charge against Charles James, alias Jonea, of having illegally pawned a watch, the property of John Taylor, was dismissed. Allan John Gibson and Henry Luther were charged on remand with having stolen a cash-box and £2O from the Queen’s Hotel on the 11th instant. After the evidence of Michael Moynihan had been taken, the case was further adjourned until the next Monday. Mr Gray appeared for the accused. Messrs J. it. George, E. T. Gillon, and F. H. Frazer, justices, occupied the bench at the sitting of the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Saturday. Alfred Gregory for drunkenness was fined ss, or 24 hours. For a similar offence Thomas Wood was fined £l, or in default three days’ imprisonment. An old man named John Ellison Brown, charged with vagrancy, was sent to prison for one week, and for a like offence Annie Gear, alias Turner and Sarah Mitchell, received a similar sentence. A further charge against the woman Mitchell of being a rogue and a vagabond was dismissed. Martha O’Donnell and Sarah Aldridge, also charged with vagrancy, were sentenced to a fortnight’s imprisonment. Mr H. W. RobinsoD, 8.M., presided at the Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning. For drunkenness two first offenders were discharged, as they had been confined for the preceding 24 hours. Another first offender and John Brazil, ' charged with a similar offence, were both fined 5s or 12 hours imprisonment. Wm. Harvey, charged with having been intoxicated, was ordered to pay cab hire, and was discharged with a caution. A fireman named Thomas Murphy, employed on board the steamer Bayley, was sentenced to a week’s hard labour for refusing duty to the chief engineer, Thos. Ewan. The prosecutor stated that there had been trouble with the accused in the same way in Sydney, and his Worship in sentencing him remarked that it was absolutely necessary to deal with some degree of severity in such cases. For the larceny of a pair of boot 3 from the boardinghouse of John Barry, alleged to have been committed on the ISth inst, Peter Mack was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour. Annie Thompson was charged with havingusedindecent language in Grainger-street on the evening of the 18th, and, the offence being proved, was sentenced to fourteen days’ imprisonment with hard labour. Frederick Long was charged by John Rothe with assault, the action having arisen out of a quarrel between the parties, who are neighbours. Mr Skerrett appeared for the prosecutor, and Mr Howorth for the defendant. After some evidence had been taken the charge was withdrawn, the complainant agreeing to accept an apology, and the defendant to pay costs._ A number of prosecutions under the Weights and Measures Act were brought up at the Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning before Mr H. W. Robinson, R.M. Four Chinese greengrocers named respectively Tbum Gee, Ah Lui, Ah Quae, and Yong Ying, were charged by Inspector Duncan with weighing their goods with scales which were short from half to three-quarters of a pound in two pounds, and the charge being proved, they were each fined £1 with costs, the flues to be paid within a week. For a similar offence George Briarly was mulcted in a like sum. Jesse Chittenden, who was charged with keeping light weights was fined £l, and for having them unstamped ss. William Richardson, against whom similar charges were laid, was fined in like amounts. His Worship, when sentencing the accused, remarkedthat the presentprosecutions Bhould prove a warning to tradesmen, and if aDy similar charges came before him in future he would be inclined to make the fines substantial. The defective scales were confiscated in each of the prosecutions. The remanded charge against Henry Luther and Allan John Gibson, of having stolen a cash-box and the sum of £2O from the Queen's Hotel, the property of Mrs Moynihan, was proceeded with in the Resident Magistrate's Court, before Mr H. W. Robinson, R.M., on Monday afternoon. Chief-Detective Browne prosecuted, and Mr Grey appeared for the accused. After the evidence of M. Ziman, J. Gurney, and Detectives Campbell and Chrystal had been taken, his Worship committed the accused for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court. The three men—Arthur Moeller, James Parker, and John Winters—who were taken into custody on Sunday by Detective Campbell on a charge of robbery with violence from Thomas McEvven (particulars of which are given elsewhere) were brought before the Resident Magistrate on Monday morning, and charged with the offence. At the request of Chief-Detective Browne, the accused were remanded until Friday. His Worship fixed bail for each of the prisoners in a personal surety of £SO, and two other amounts of £25 each. Judgment with costs was given by Mr H. W. Robinson, R.M., in the following civil cases at the Magistrate’s Court on luesday Wakefield and Roydhouso v Beury Gills, £2 15s and costs 8s ; E. Barber v J. May, £3 and costs 6s. In the case of Veitch aod Allan 'v J. IVhelan, claim 13s 9d, an order was made for payment of the full amount within one month, or in default three days’ imprisonment. In the civil action J. Cooper v Hapi Puketapu, claim £S 7s 6d, his Worship made an order for payment of the claim within a month, with the alternative of seven days’ imprisonment In the case J. Fulton v Arthur Moeller, olaim £2 Is, there was no appearance of the defendant, and payment of the amount within one month was ordered, or six days imprisonment. , , Mr H. W. Robinson, R.M., presided at the Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning, when a first offender for drunkenness was fined ss, or 12 hours’ imprisonment. Alfred Gregory, for a similar offence, was fined £l, or in default, 4S hours’ imprisonment with hard labour. Wm. Riley was charged with drunkenness, and also with having broken a pane of glass valued at 4s 6d, the property of Elizabeth Crawford. He was mulcted m the usual penalty for the first offence, and the second charge was dismissed. The charge of larceny of a dolman preferred against James Gaffney, alias Grey, alias Lee, was dismissed, as no evidence was forth* - coming.