MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1248, 30 January 1896, Page 38

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

In the Court on Thursday last, before Mr Martin, S.M., a seaman of the barque Seriol Wyn was lined ss, or 24 hours in default, for drunkenness, and fcr disobeying the orders of Captain Meyer he was ordered to pay a fine of <£l or to go to gaol for five da3's, besides being ordered to forfeit two days' pay and to pay 7s costs. Joseph Burnett, who had stowed away on the Wakatipu from Sydney, was fined £2 ss, or nine days' imprisonment in default. Two hrst-offending drunkards were fined 5s each Mr Martin, S.M., on Friday decided not to allow costs to I). T. Orr, chemist, in the case brought against him by the Inspector of Factories to decide whether a chemist can sell fancy articles and yet be exempted from closing on the weeky half-holiday. His Worship, who had previously given his judgment in favour of defendant, held that the prosecution was a bona fide, prosecution by public

officers, and not officious or vexatious, and the public officers should therefore not be compelled to pay the costs of the action. Tv Findlay appeared for the Inspector of Factories, and Mr Skerrett for the defendant. Some of the business of the Magistrate's Court on Friday was taken by Messrs C. T. Richardson, J. O'Meara and R. O'Connor, Justices. The hearing of the charge of perjury preferred against the Assyrian Peter Stephen was adjourned for a week. Ethel Bowler was fined ss, with 16s costs, for getting off a train while it was in motion. Before Mr Martin, S.M., George Dennis, licensee of the Te Aro Hotel, was fined 20a, with 28s costs, for failing to give a barmaid a half-holiday. Dr Findlay appeared for the Department of Labour. The charge against Robert Greig of having used insulting language to Thomas Leydon was dismissed, His Worship agreeing with Mr Wilford, tor the defence, that as there were no passersby who heard the language the offence did not come within the meaning of the Act. Edwara Sneller. of the s.s. Kuahine, was convicted ot disobedience of orders and discharged on paying 7s costs, his conduct having since tnen been most exemplary. . Further evidence on the charge of abortion preferred against Thomas B Ellison was given before Mr Martin, S.M., on Friday Henry Brown, cabdriver, said he remembered having driven Miss Marshall from Vr Wright's house in Jngestre street to tne Manawatu Railway Station at 6 o clock one morning Miss Marshall's luggage was labelled " Palmerston North," and witness handed it to a porter. 'I he previous evening lie had received a telephone message to go to Ingestre street, but did net ask the message. Mary Doyle, domestic deposed that she was introduced to by Mrs Brown at the house in Ingestre street about the middle of last year. Isabella Solomons and Detective Neill having given evidence, Mr Gray applied for a remand until after the application for a new trial, made by the convict Brown, had been disposed of. Mr Skerrett, for the accused,. opposed the ■-■>•. l- ... i.-x tt;- mr r. • Jta i-„ xi 1.4-

it was a reasonable request to make, seeing that Brown had the key to the whole mystery, and could either convict or clear the accused. Mr Gray said there would bo no unreasonable delay in dealing with Brown's application, and His Worship decided to remand the case at present for a week, accused being liberated on the same bail as before.

A man named Charles Taylor appeared before Mr Martin, S.M., at the [.Magistrate's Court on Monday on a charge of failing to comply with an order of the Court for the support of his wife, and was sentenced to a month's imprisonment. John H. Burns, who had failed to comply with an order to pay 5s a week towards the support of his child, was sentenced to one month's imprisonment, and ordered to find one surety of .£ls for due compliance with the order, or in default to go to gaol for six months. The hearing of the charge against Hugh Cameron and Gaetano Russo of being in possession of uncustomed goods was adjourned until after the next criminal sittings of the Supreme Court, when they have to appear on a charge of theft from the wreck of the Halcione.

The charge against the young man William Stevens of having: assaulted James Christopher Mailman in Abel Smith street on the 7th December last was investigated by Messrs \V. G. Bees and J. M. Richardson, justices, in the Magistrate's Court on Monday. Inspector Pender prosecuted, and Mr Wilford appeared for ths accused. Mailman said he had no recollection of having been assaulted, nor did he know accused. Br Ewart slated that when Mailman was taken to the Hospital he showed symptom? of fracture of the skull ; he was unconscious, his nose was broken, and there was a small wound at the back of his head. He was unconscious for a week, and his mental faculties were not yet all right. Evidence was given by George Andrews that he saw accused hit Mailman, knocking him down. He fell on the back of his head, and Stevens hit him a second blow. Mary Jenkins deposed to having seen Stevens kick Mailman in the face. After hearing further evidence, the Bench committed accused for tWal, fixing bail at two securities of .£2O each.

In the Magistrate's Court on Monday, before Messrs J. M. Richardson and W. G. Rees, Justices, John Melanti, Thomas McLaren, Thomas Robinson and Thomas Burns were fined 5s each for loitering on the pavement in Manners street. McEwen was fined 20s, with 7s costs, for being the occupier of premises in Lambton quay the chimney of which caught fire. Denis Maloney was fined 10s, or 48 hours in default, for drunkenness, and Grace Harper was fined 20s, or seven days in default, for having been drunk and disorderly. Four first offenders were fined 5s each. R. Mcßae was fined £1 for being the owner of lousy sheep, found on the Agricultural and Pastoral Association's property at Petone. The information was laid by Mr W. G. Hees, Stock Inspector, who retired from the Bench during the hearing of the case, his place being taken by Mr J. Ashcroft, J. P.