MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4688, 24 June 1902, Page 7

MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

MONDAY, JUNE 23. (Before Mr W. R. Haselden. S.M.) Five first offending cinxnkards were convicted. A previously convicted drunkard named Joseph Stringer was fined lOs, in default forty-eight hours imprisonment. Allan Gibson, Juan Durang and William McDonald, previously convicted, who had been in custody since Saturday, were each fined os, m default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment. Peter Roberts and Thomas Albury pleaded guilty to charges of having behaved in a disorderly manner while drunk on Jorvois quay. They were fined ss, in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment each. Thomas Albury denied a further charge of having used obSoeno language. His Worship imposed a fine of £5, in default one month’s imprisonment. A cab driver, named William Bruce, was fined 10s. in default forty-eight hours’ imprisonment, for been drunk whilst in charge 5f his vehicle on Lambton quay. A young woman named Clara Algar was charged with a third offence of drunkenness within the last six months. After she had made a rambling statement to-tho Bench, his Worship remarked that she had been tho cause of anxiety to -her friends and also to himself. Ho had received numerous letters from her friends speaking of her in kindly terms, but mentioning that their efforts to reform her had been of no avail, and suggesting that she should retire for three months. A sentence of throe months’ imprisonment, with hard labour, was imposed. An apprentice, named Sydney Goodwin, fourteen years of age, belonging to tho ship Pass of Balmaha, admitted having absented himself from the vessel without leave. In answer to his Worship, the boy said his fellow-apprentices ill-used him. and when he threatened to complain to tho officers, the apprentices said they would treat him like a dog when tho vessel was at sea. His Worship ordered tho hoy to bo. placed on board the vessel again. A man named Soonrige was charged with having harboured his son Thomas Scourigo, who absconded from tho Burnham School, during the month of June. Mr Jollieoo appeared-for (ho defendant and admitted the offence. After having heard the circumstances of tho case., his Worship convicted and .discharged the defendant.

. The partially-heard case in which Assad Schwoiry was charged with having assaulted Michael David, was continued. Mr Wilford, for the defendant, contended that the evidence for the prosecution was full of contradiction. Judgment was reserved. Two Syrian infants named Elizabeth Jane Habib and Louis Habib were committed to tho Wellington Receiving Home. A young man named Arthur William Suttor was charged- with having obtained £lO by moans of false pretences from L. Matson, on tho 19th June, at Christchurch. On the application of Inspector Ellison, ho was remanded to appear- in Christchurch on the 25th June. David John Douglas was ordered to pay 7s per week for the maintenance of his child; first payment to commence on the 30th inst. For having disobeyed an order of the Court for the support of his illegitimate child. William Felling was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour.

A young man named Leonard Phillips was charged with having assaulted Denis Sullivan, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm, at .Kaitoke, on tho sbh June, 1902. Mr Wilford appeared for the defendant. Sullivan gave evidence that he worked on the Government railway near Kaitoke on tho sth June. 1902 T with the accused. As tho result of an argument which they had about tho Boer war, the accused called him a liar. Witness, who was in a stooping attitude at the time, did not remember anything more beyond the fact that he was removed to a ganger’s hut. When he became conscious he discovered that he had a severe cut on his head. Ho was jiaken to the Lower Hutt and subsequently removed to the hospital for treatment. Cross-examined by Mr Wilford, witness stated ’that the accused told him the Boers “ought to bo driven into the sea,” and ho (witness) replied “the New Zealanders were no good.” He would not deny that he called them “black-legs.” When the accused was stooping down witness admitted that he called him a young blackguard because he called witness a liar. In answer to Inspector Ellison, witness stated that ho could not see how ho could have been injured by any other means than by a blow on the head from the accused’s beater. Tho bat. produced in Court, was the one which witness wore when working with the accused. Witness did not out the hole in the crown of the hat. After hearing further evidence, his Worship committed the , accused to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was granted in one surety of £SO. At the Mount Cook Police Station yestordav morning, before Mr W. Sansbury, J.P., four first-offending drunkards were convicted. Norman Campbell, an habitual drunkard, was fined 20s, in default fourteen davs’ imprisonment.