MAGISTRATE'S COURT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10107, 22 October 1918, Page 8

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

r YESTERDAY'S POLICE CASES. Yesterday's sittine of the Magistrate's Court was presided over by Mr F. V. Frazer S.M. Joseph Dosenback. who was flourishing an umbrella about on Lambton quay and striking persons on the head with it uniil the article broke, was fined £3 for disorderly behaviour. PROHIBITION ORDER BREACHES. Daniel Keane. who has a penchant for filling himself up with beer, was again before the court for drunkenness and for' committing a breach of his prohibition order. "Smiling Dan," as he is known to thfi habitues of the court, smiled during the proceedings and continued, to do so when he was sentenced to a month's imprisonment. Donald McDonald, who broke his prohibition order, was fined £l, and was ordered to pay £1 Is medical expenses incurred as the result of his behaviour.

Archibald Olsen and Eric Holtberg, two seafaring men. admitted going on board an oversea vessel without the authority of the military authorities. The men were found in the forecastle of the vessel bv a member of the military guard and refused to leave when' requested to do so. It was shown that the accused were invited on board the ship ny members of the crew, and each was convicted and fined ss,' with 2s 6d witness's expenses. OPIUM SMOKING.

An elderlv Chinese named Joe I>oong, who resides at 22, Haining street, was charged with permitting the imoking of opium on the premises, and Joe John Chew with unlawfully smoking opium. Doong when charged replied, "Me no smokee the opium, but tho other fellow." Senior-Sergeant Crean said that when he visited the premises he found jill the appliances for smoking opium, and tho nine was hot. There was only a small amount of opium in the house, and it is known as "seconds," that is, opium that had been smoked, and tvorkod up again for smoking. Chew, who appeared to be of a happy disposition, said he smoked a pipe of opium on the advice of a Chinese friend in order to allay a stomach trouble. Tho magistrate said the offence was not an aggravated one, but still it had been thought advisablo to stop the smoking of* opium, even mong Chinese. The precaution was a proper one, as the habit was being acquired by Europeans. It was well known, he said, that Europeans, when thev adopt Eastern habits, go the whole,' ,T hoe." with disastrous lcsults. Each defendant, was convicted and fined £3. in default to be, imprisoned for one month. ■MAINTENANCE CASES. ' John Harper Page, who was in arrears to the extent of £9 in respect to a maintenance order in favour of his wife, and £5 12s in regard to a child, was sentenced to a month's imprisonment on each charge. The warrant is to bo suspended so long as £1 5s a week is paid to tho wife, and os a week off tho arrears duo for tho maintenance of his child.

Henrv Herbert Andrews, who allowed a maintenance order against him to get into arrears, wa's ordered to be imprisoned for 48 hours unless he pays the bum of os within a week, and £1 Is solicitor's fve.