RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 6281, 30 May 1881, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Satdbday, Mat 28. (Before W. Hutchison and J. Hislop, Esqs., J.P.’s.) Vagrancy.—Peter Newton, well known to the police, was charged under the Vagrancy Act with having no visible means of support, to which offence he pleaded guilty. He stated to the Bench that, since his discharge from gaol, he bad been unsuccessful in his efforts ts obtain employment. Those to whom he had applied gave him no encouragement, and at last, when on the point of starvation, he gave himself up to the police as a vagrant. —Sergeant Anderson having substantiated the statement of the accused, their Worships expressed their surprise that no facilities were afforded persons on their discharge from gaol to find some means of gaining a livelihood. Prisoner was remanded till Monday, the justices promising in the meantime to communicate with the Believing Officer of the Benevolent Institution, with a view to obtaining for him some means of employment.

Quarrels os Shipboard.—James Wells, steward of the barque Alastor, was charged with, on the 28th inst., assaulting Moses Bain, cook of the same vessel Both parties are colored men, and from the statement of Bain it would appear they had quarrelled over the cookio<r of some meat. It waa a clear case of the pot calling the kettle black, and the finale waa reached by defendant striking the complainant on the elbow with a meat saw. Wells had also threatened that if he could not get satisfaction out of his opponent whilst in Wellington he would poison him while f'oing round Cape Horn. Defendant denied the statements in toto. Bain also stated that the captain sided with defendant, and refused to allow him a few shillings out of his pay to go ashore and lay an information before the Magistrate, The Bench was o! opinion that

if the statements had any semblance of truth the captain should have been present in Court to explain matters ; and that it was advisable for the complainant to leave the ship here, or otherwise have the defendant bound over to keep the peace. To allow euqu’.ri-s to be made in the matter, the further hearing of the case was adjourned till Tuesday. There was no other business.