MAGISTRATE'S COURT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLV, Issue 10431, 8 November 1919, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

YESTERDAY'S SITTING VARIOUS POLICE CASES DEALT! WITH. ' , " A. sitting of the Magistrate's Court was hold yesterday borore -Mr K Pa«e S.M. Mark Benjamin was gorged with naving given an unstamped A remand for a week was asked ioi and granted. TULfiFT OF COAT. George Dixon, a young .half-caste, was charged with the.theft ot an overcoat valued at £5 los, the propeity of Hone Bros., Cuba street. Sub-Inspector Emerson sa.d the accused was seen to take tho. coat and waa followed. Ho was detained *huo ■•'he- poiico were communicated wifcii, and when arrested was wearing the coat. Constable Scott arrived on the «ccno and took accused into custody, but on tho way to the station Dixon broke Mvav and had to bo chased sumo distance before he was recaptured. Accused said it was his first onence and ho asked the magistrate to deal with him as leniently as possible, for he had been to the war, and it he was convicted it might affect both ills pension and gratuity. • The magistrate said he would liUo to look further into the case and seo how accused stood in the matter of •.',ratuit.v and allowance. Ho would adjourn the caso until the following morning. WILFUL DAMAGE. Joseph Carstens pleaded not guilty to a chargo of having done wilful damage to a wiudow of the value of £2 lUs, the property of AUco Herdmai.. Tho evidence of the poiico was to the effect that accused (who was a seaman on one of the steamers)' and other men were seen' in the vicinity of the Dominion Hotel. A crash was heard and a largo plate gla.ss window was smashed. No one actually saw accused smash the window, but he was seen to approach it, and upon examination of his boot it was found that it was cut in such a manner as indicated that he had kicked tho window. Accused protested his innocence, and blamed a "red-haired man" who, he said, disappeared in tho crowd. Ho said his companions would corroborate his evidence. Subsequently his shipmates were called, but their statements and that of accused varied considerably. Accused said he had a perfect recollection of what transpired, that he was quite sober, and that he had only had ono drink (a pint of beer). His companions said that they had about nine pints each, and that accused had partaken of a similar quantity. The magistrate said that although the police had not actually seen accused do the damage, he was satisfied that Carstens was guilty of tho offence and was evidently under the influonco of liquor at the time. He would be fined £5 in default 21 days' imprisonment, and would have to make good tho damage done, £2 10s. OTHER CASES. j A. fine of £1 and costs was imposed j ou James Keith, charged with having been found on tho premises of tho National Hotel without lawful excuso. John Shine was fined £5, in default 14 days' imprisonment on a charge of having usee? obscene, language, and 10s or 24 hours on i> chargo of drunkomtess. Tjhe police stated tjhat accused had been loafing about tho streets of AVellington for some time making himself a public nuisance, and had caused the police a good deal of trouble. He had been in several disturbances. In threo cases accused had teen mixed up in discreditable scenes Emily Fostor, charged with drunkenness and broach of & prohibition or. der, was fined -10 s and costs for breach of tho order and 20s and costs on the chargo of drunkenness. For breaches of tho Licensing Actin being found on licensed premises after hours—Thomas Vincent Gardner Mid Daniel Mahoney were each fined 40s and costs. For a similar offence Bowcn Jamieson was fined a like iimount. Ho stated that he had merely gone into the hotel "to see a pal" and thought that ho was a guest of his friend. No sooner had he entered the hotel when the poiico followed and took his name.