RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 547, 1 February 1878, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

THIS DAY. (Before T. \V. Parker, Esq., R.M.) CATTLE AT LARGE. Thomas Patterson was find 4s. for allowing one horse to be at large. DRUNK AND DISORDERLY. Henry Richards was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Thames street, last evening, and was fined os. OBSCENE LANGUAGE. Rebecca Stewart and Annie Rees, two women of ill-fame, were charged with using (on the 31st January last) language totally unfit for publication.—Constable Donovan gave evidence to the effect that yesterday morning, between one and two o'clock a.m., he heard the defendants making use of obscene language in a house they occupy in Thames-street. They were shouting out, and calling each other filthy names at the top of their voices. He ■went into the house, and found three men there, who left immediately upon his appearance. The women continued to use the language to each other for about a quarter of an hour after he went into the house. The woman Rees appeared to be the worse for drink, but Stewart appeared sober.— Sub-Inspector Smith remarked that there were a number of complaints against the defendants lately. His Worship, after administering a caution not to appear again before him, or they would be fined the highest penalty under the Vagrant Act, viz., LlO, or three months' imprisonment, fined them 40s each, or 10 days' imprisonment. The fines were at once paid. CIVIL CASE. Wright and Hardy v. Wm. Fen wick.— Claim L 66, Breach of Contract. Mr. Hislop appeared for plaintiffs, and Mr. Balmer for defendant. The evidence of the plaintiffs went to show that the defendant had promised them the threshing of a large quantity of grass seed at Waiareka (the defendant's estate), thereby inducing them to take their mill and engine near to defendant's plane, and then after some disagreement between the parties at the shearing, the defendant had given the threshing to another mill-proprietor, thus causing the loss of time, &c.. now sued for. The defendant in his evidence stated that there had never been any direct agreement between the parties. The plaintiff Wright had on several occasions spoken to him, but he had told him that he was not sure whether he would have any crop to thresh after the strike, which occurred at the shearing time, during which Wright was very offensive. He told him that sinca he had beon_jso offensive he need not bother about the threshing. His Worship after hearing the evidence on both sides, reserved his decision till Tuesday next.