MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1260, 23 April 1896, Page 35

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

At the Magistrate’s Court last week, Ellen Thomas was charged, on the information of her husband, Charles A. Thomas, with being found in the Panama Hotel oil Ist April, she being a prohibited person. Dr Findlay appeared for the husband. William George Bassett, privates enquiry agent, gave evidence, which showed that Mrs Thomas visited the hotel on two occasions on the date mentioned. Mr Greenfield imposed a tine of £5, or 11 days’ imprisonment. William J. Aliooston, a small boy, was charged at the Magistrate’s Court last week with stealing a silver watch and gold chain at Johnsonville, the property of Archibald McLaughlin. Tho lad was convicted, and discharged. John Brittain and Thomas Newey were lined 10s, or in default IS hours, and Alice O’Donnell was sent to gaol for two months, for drunkenness. James Mitchell, for insulting behaviour in Willis street, was lined 40s, or in default seven days’ imprisonment. Timothy Corlet, on a charge of having no visible means of support, was remanded until this morning. Charles Biggs, a fireman, was charged with usiug obscene language on the Queen’s Wharf, and with assaulting and disobeying the lawful commands of Captain Scotland, of the Aotea. The first charge was dismissed ; for the second the accused was fined 20s, with 21s costs, or in default seven days, and for the last was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment.

The Magistrate’s Court was occupied the greater part of Thursday afternoon in hearing a claim for if 2o made by If. Woods against the Colonial Carrying Co. for damages, medical attendance, injury to clothes and saddle, resulting, it was alleged, through one of tho defendant’s carts coining into collision with plaintiff, who was riding in Willis street on March oth. Mr Wilford appeared for tho plaintiff, and Mr Atkinson for tho defendant. Judgment was given for plaintiff for .£ls, and costs -£5 12s od.

On Friday at the Magistrate’s Court Archibald Merlet, licensee of the Clyde-

quay Hotel, was charged with selling liquor on tho sth of April without being licensed. After hearing tho evidence for the prosecution Mr Greenfield dismissed tho information, as he said there was not sufficient corroborative evidence of the sale of drink. Mr Skerrett appeared for the licensee. Michael Higgins, late licensee of the hotel, was next charged with permitting an unlicensed person to be in charge of tho hotel on tho same date. Dr Findlay, who appeared for the defendant, pointed out that the only penalty provided in the Act for the offence was forfeiture of the license, and as tho Licensing Committee was the only body that could deal with the license, ho submitted Mr Greenfield had no jurisdiction. The magistrate dismissed tho information. Robert Mc-Carry, for tho theft of a coat, value .£l, the property of G. W. Smart, was sentenced to 3 months’ imprisonment. F. Marshall, for allowing a chimney to be on fire, was lined ss, with 7s costs. Harry Fields, on a charge of forging and uttering a cheque for ,£S on "William Simmons, was committed for trial, bail being fixed in two sureties of £2b each. Bernard McManus, who did not appear, was fined 10s, with 7s costs, for using insulting language to R. Apps on Nth April. A case against Richard Mantle for failing to comply with an order of the Court to contribute 15s a week to the support of his wife was adjourned to 15th May, tho defendant, in the meantime, to pay tis per week. William Stewart was charged with failing to provide for the support of his two children. Mr Gray appeared fertile complainant, and Mr Wilford for tho defendant. An order was made to contribute 7s (id towards the support of the two children, the wife to have their custody. An application for a rehearing of a case in which two men named Collins and Kelly had been convicted of assaulting E. Wilson, Post Office Hotel, some days ago, was refused. Tho civil case of A. G. Manthel v. Emily Clark, claim <£so, commission on sale of a hotel, was concluded in the afternoon, when the plaintiff was nonsuited, with costs il l 3s.

At the Magistrate’s Court on Monday before Air A. Greenfield, S.M., five first offenders, on a charge of drunkenness, were fined ss, or in default 24- hours, William Melville, fora similar offence, was fined 10s or -IS hours. Thomas P. Moronoy, for assaulting Constable Kelly, was sent to gaol for 28 days, and for injuring the constable’s shako was lined ss, and was ordered to pay 11s (3d damages, or in default 48 hours. A charge of transferring a second-class return ticket from Wellington to Lower Hutt against John Marker was dismissed. Thomas Hill was charged with failing to comply with an order oi the Court to contribute to the support of bis wife, ho being <£3 10s in arrears. Accused was ordered to pay the amount, or

in default 14 days’ imprisonment. Charles Gurote, alias Bismarck, was charged with stealing, on February 20, at Piii Piri, a horse valued at .£lO, tho property of Richard Laurvig. Air Wilford appeared for the accused, who was committed for trial, bail being allowed in two

sureties of .£SO each. Two other similar charges, which had been adjourned on a previous occasion, were withdrawn. The Assyrian caso came before tho Court again, when Hanna Monsoor was charged with assaulting and robbing Peter Stephens on 23rd December. Air Jellicoe appeared for the informant and Dr Findlay for tho defendant. Dr Findlay objected to the case being reopened. His Worship decided to hear the charge. After hearing the evidence of tho complainant and a witness, the caso was adjourned until Wednesday. Bail was allowed —defendant in <£lo, and a surety in a like amount. F. Holdsworth and J. Chalmers admitted trespassing on the Well ington-Manawatn Railway at Hadfield on sth April by driving a horse and buggy thereon. .Vs there was no appearance on behalf of the informants the plea was withdrawn, and tho case was struck out.

G. Al. Park was charged at the Auckland Court with having, on the Ist February, at Taupo, stolen <£2o, the property of the Queen. Air McAlister asked for a further remand for a week. Accused objected, and wont on to say that ho had already been tried at tho Supreme Court and admitted to probation, and now they were bringing anot her charge against him, and endeavouring to drive a coach and horses through the Judge’s sentence. It was not justice; they were using the law to break the law. Air Pollard, one of the Justices, said it would do him no good to make these statements. Tho remand was granted.

At the Auckland Court Thomas Richardson James, who has been carrying on business as a broker during the past few months, was committed for trial on a charge of having obtained <£lß 15s from Thomas Bowen by false pretences. Other charges were adjourned. Three Natives, Waiaronga and two brothers named Rowiti, have each been lined ,£2O and costs for sheep-stealing at Alongonui, and in default of payment of lino were sentenced to six months’ im-

prisonment. At Clinton (Otago) Matthew Finlay Patterson was committed for trial on a charge of setting fire to three stacks of oats of the value of .£IOO, belonging to Janies Nicol, farmer. Tho ovidonco was entirely circumstantial.