Around and About The Courts

NZ Truth, Issue 1220, 18 April 1929, Page 2

Around and About The Courts

COME of the most pitiable sights to be seen m a police court are the victims of methylated spirits drinking. George McCorkingdale, who failed to appear a few weeks ago when his wife applied for a prohibition order against him, was m a bad way when he stood m the dock at the Dunedin Police Court on a charge of drunkenness. It was stated by Sub-inspector Cumin ings that McCorkingdale had sold household furniture and clothes to provide himself with drink. He was ordered to be detained on the Island for a period of twelve months. * • * THE fact that a friend had given him permission to sleep m a bach and that he had paid two sums of 10/- for the privilege of sleeping there, was sufficient to convince Mr. E. Page, S.M., m the Wellington Police Court, that George Stanley Regan, had some right to sleep on the premises. Regan had pleaded not guilty to a charge of being found without lawful excuse on enclosed premises. ' Mr. Page held that the charge had not been established, but m dismissing the case, told. Regan that he could not go back to the bach. Regan intimated his intention of getting away to the country as fast a's he could. #• - # W/HEN under the influence of drink, ** John Golden, by all accounts, should try to remember the old adage: "Silence is golden." Several times he has been before the court for using obscene language, and the other day he added to his police record by swearing at and striking a constable. ' Appearing before a Dunedin magistrate at the city police court, Golden

seemed to be still befuddled with the excess of liquor which 'had been the cause of his trouble. After mumbling something about a jury, the old fellow was told to stand down, and appeared later, when he was fined 10/- for being drunk. 'On charges of resisting arrest and using obscene language he was ordei*ed to come up for sentence if called upon within 12 months. * * * . W/HEN Peter Bushbridge, of Pitzger-^ aid Avenue, Christchurch, got back home from the second day's trots at Addington, 'he found Mary Catherine Cleary and some other women m his- house drinking, and took quick measures to eject Mrs. Cleary. He hit her twice and knocked her down, and when Constable Chihnell found the woman she was very dishevelled, and was bleeding about the face. „ Bushbridge said the woman doubled back after he had. put her out and broke a panel of glass m the front door, but Mr. E. C. , Levvey, S.M , reminded him that he could not jo knocking women about even if he was drunk, and sent him to gaol for a fortnight for assault and fined him £5 for using obscene language. * # • . A SQUABBLE with the landlord as to who should hold the rent-book, led Joseph Taylor, a tenant of John Edward Thomas Boyd McFadden, to the Christchurch Police Court to explain to Mr. V. E. C. Levvey, S.M., why he had used his, feet to such purpose that the landlord had to go into hospital for a week. McFadden declared that while- he was debating with Mrs. Taylor the possession of the rent book, Taylor appeared on the scene iri a bullying manner and called the landlord a thief. What actually happened after that was m dispute, but evidently McFadden got the worst of the deal. The magistrate took this view of the affray, and fined Taylor £5.

A SEAMAN'S life is evidently not all **■ .that could b.e desired — at least, so thought •William George Lidstone, a member of the crew of the "Somerset," who deserted his ship at Wellington. Lidstone pleaded guilty to the offence m the Wellington Police Court, and said he had recently been married and wanted to be with his wife. Mr. E. Page, S.M., convicted Lidstone and ordered him to pay the expenses, m default 14 days' imprisonment. # # # UB journeyed to Wellington from Featherston with the idea of witnessing the motor-cycle sports at Kilbirnie, but he imbibed rather freely of potent liquor with the result that he felt sleepy. John Arthur Wheeler, aged 25, chose a rather novel, and, as it happened, expensive bed. He drew into the gutter . with his motor-cycle and went to sleep with his head over the handlebars of his machine. A policeman saw him and Interrupted his slumbers to charge him with being drunk m charge of a motorvehicle. • Wheeler pleaded guilty to the offence m the Wellington Police Court, and Mf. T. B. McNeill, S.M., imposed a fine of £5, and cancelled Wheeler's license until May next. # * • A TTIRED m a brown jersey over blue trousers, Law Ke San, whose face was wrinkled with age, told Mr. E. Page, S.M., m the Wellington Police Court, through an interpreter, that he had stowed away on the "Makura" from Papeete. He had nothing to say to a charge of being an undesirable immigrant, ] but he did say he would rather die than go back to Papeete and wanted to be sent to Hong Kong. San, who had £25 m his possession when found, was ordered to pay £20 of that to the shipping company for his return fare, and the interpreter's fee. He was also ordered to be' deported ahd to be held m custody until the necessary arrangements had been made. . Tai Kekena, a Raratongan, also admitted stowing away on the "Makura," but as he was not an undesirable immigrant he was • fined £5- m default 14 days' imprisonment. . # • * "T WOULD like to be discharged," was the naive request of Michael Neklaskl, a seaman, aged 27, who was described as an American, when he admitted to Mr. E. Page, S.M., m the Wellington Police Court, that he had deserted from the s.s. "Golden Bear," at Timaru. Senior- Sergeant Butler explained that Neklaski was a member of the crew of the "Golden Bear," but had deserted at Timaru. He had come to Wellington, and was now employed m the Government Printing Department. Both the shipping company concerned and the Customs Department were to let the matter rest. His wife was m Wellington with him. Neklaski was convicted and discharged, bn condition that he forfeited any wages due to him from the vessel. • • a THAT he may have an opportunity to acquire habits of industry which his twenty-two years of life have not yet taught him Bartholomew Mcllroy, a well-dressed and presentable young man, who pleaded guilty to six charges of making false documents, and three of theft, at the Auckland Supreme Court last week, was sentenced by Mr. Justice Blair to four years' detention at a Borstal institution. His Honor commented on the unenviable record which stood to the discredit of th.3 accused; he had had probation previously 'and a short period of reformative detention, which did not seem to have benefited him, for he had since embarked on a long series of offences, and robbed persons of a substantial sum of money. The only chance his Honor could see was for* Mcllroy to learn habits of industry. ''Nothing al all," was the accused's reply when asked if he had anything to say.

TN some cases a few drinks will give a man the idea that he is a veritable ladykiller. Perhaps this was so when Francis. Patrick Hoare, of Dunedin. forced salutations upon a young girl whom he met m Cargill Road. He was not very drunk, but his conduct was such that a summons for disorderly behavior cost him 30/- and costs at the city police court. # * ■* QNCE away from the intricacies of figures and accounts, William Munro Park, agent and secretary, aged 35, spent a considerable portion of one Saturday m an hotel. He later entered a Chinese fruiterer's shop and began to create a disturbance by knocking over a case of bananas. But what Park did not know was that a detective was m the back of the shop conversing with one of the Chinese. The detective came into the shop m response to a summons by a shop hand and asked Park what the trouble was. Park became offensive and used obscene language, and told the .detective he had no right to talk to him. The latter went into the street and Park followed him and repeated thp obscene language and was promptly arrested. .He pleaded guilty before Mr. T. B. McNeill, S.M., m the Wellington Police Court to a charge of drunkenness and using obscene language and was convicted and fined £2 on the second charge and convicted and discharged for drunkenness. * * • MUCH as we all may like a dainty waitress hovering round our sup-per-tables, if we desire her angelic presence we must get the meal over by 10.30 p.m. The law says so, and

official inspectors make it their business to see that restaurant proprietors do not employ females after the "curfew" hour. At the Dunedin Magistrate's Court, Mrs. Allan, Lido Cafe, and Mrs. E. Johnston, Vedic Cafe, were fined for making a breach m this direction. # # • THE excuse that after several drinks * his feet got tangled up with his machine did not avail Philip Herbert Charles Saul, a bootmaker, when he admitted m the Wellington Police Court a charge of being m charge of a motor vehicle while drunk. . Saul was found lying m the street with his motor cycle .m a similar position nearby. He had no previous convictions, but Mr. T. B. McNeill, S.M., imposed a fine of £10 and suspended Saul's license for six months. . • * ■ . # A DISCIPLE of the free, open life on ™ the. broad highway, Peter Fisher, a laborer, celebrated his coming of age by taking a cycling holiday. . This was not the only thing he took, and his scant disregard for the value of other people's property got him into trouble. The picturesque journey from Groymouth to Nelson appealed to him, but the means of locomotion was a stumbling block. There was nothing easier, however, than to appropriate a bicycle which was standing outside the Remuera Library and so wheeled it away, caring nothing for the inconvenience he was causing John Dowling, the owner of the machine. After reaching Nelson, Fisher turned south down the east coast and when he arrived at Christchurch he abandoned the bike at the bicycle stand otftside the central railway station. . Admitting the offence when -charged, Fisher was admitted to probation for two years, was prohibited, and was ordered to make restitution to Dowling.