RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1225, 30 November 1865, Page 5

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Tuesday, 28th November. (Before A. C. Strode, Esq., R.M.) '. Drunkards—Donald Dew was fined 20s, or 48 hours' imprisonment, for having been drunk. Henry Townsend was charged, under the vagrant Ordinance, with being an habitual drunkard, having been more than three times convicted of drunkenness within the preceding twelve months. He was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, with hard labor. Disorderly Hocses.—Kenneth Campbell Was charged with allowing a number of prostitutes to assemble in his eating house and oyster saloon in the Arcade, on the 22ad instant. Srg-eant Britton stated that he had on several occasions cautioned the defendant against permitting bad characters to assemble in his house, but the defendant toolt no notice of the warning; and on the night of the 220 d instant, he found five women and two men in the defendant's house. Constable Coneys corroborated the Sergeant's sta'ement, and said that on a previous occasion he was present when the defendant was cautioned for a similar offence. The Magistrate said that the defendant did not stem inclined to take a warning, but if he was brought up again on a similar charge he would be imrrisoned. For this offence, he was fined L.'J and costs.—Mary Ann Minton was charged with a simi'ar offence in her oyster saloon, in the. Arcade, on the night of the 22nd inst. The defendant had been cautioned more than a dozen times against permitting bad characters to assemble in her house, which was tie resort of both men and women of notoriously bad character. She was fined L 3 and costs, with a caution that, for the next offence, she would get three months' imprisonment. OFFENCES AGAIN6T THE LICENSING Ordinance.—Hugh E. Cann was charged with neglecting to keep a lamp lighted over the principal cntr&ncs of his licensed house in Jetty street, horn sunset to sunrise. He pleaded that the lamp was blown out by the wind, and ds this was the first offence the case was dismissed. James Armstrong was chareed with a fimilar offence in the North East Valley. As this lamp had been out on other occasions, the defendant was lined 5s and costs. Cattle TRESPASS.-«-Jo<eph Winchester was- charged with permitting one horse to depasture within the limits of the town, but as the horse was not many minutes on the street, the case was dismissed. For a Fimilar offence Henry Hawker was fined 5s and co.^ts, he having 1 een fined Inst v. etk for the fame horse. George Osborne was charged with permitting fifteen horses to depasture in Cumberland street. I» appeared that the defendant had kept his horses on ttie street for several days and nights* and defkd the police to fine him as he was going to Canterbury. He was fined 5s a head and co?ts. Nuisances. — Lawrence Levy was charged with neglecting to clean I>i3 premises in Princes street. The nuisance had since been removed, and the defendant was fined 5s and costs. James Chesney and Co., were charged with a similar offence in Market street, and were final os and costs. Charles Cooper and 11. and J. Hart were charged with permitting a nuisance to exist on premises occupied by them in the Arcade. The Inspector stated that these two shops wf re not at present occupied, and had recently been converted info one shop. He found that the shop end cellar was full of filth ot all descriptions, end had been made the receptacle for alj the rubbish of the Arcade. G. F. Clifford, attorney for Mr Farley, proved that the defendants were still in occupation of the two bhops, although they wire now empty. The defendant?, 11.and J. Hart, had never personally occupied the shop rented by them, and they had wriitcn to the witness giving up possession of these promises on the 14th of September, but they had not been relieved frcm their tenancy. For the defendant Cooper two witnesses were called, who had inspected the pieHMPes, and stated that the fiith and rubbish was all on the portion belonging to the defendant.?, H. and J. Hart, and Cooper's portion was quite clean. H. and J. Hart were fined 5s and costs, and the case against Cooper was dismissed. Bkbach of the Harbor Regulations. Richard Gardiner, the master or the person in charge of the lighter Mary Ann, wns charged on tl.'e information of David Dickie, Assistant Harbor Mast'r, wish lenting or causing to be heated on board !ii> lighter a eruantiiy of tar, whilst lying at Dimedin Jetty, alongside another lighter. The complainant stated that the defendant was heating a quantity of tar in an old nail tin, on the deck of his lighter, when a portion of the tar boiled over nnd was on fire on the deck when the complainant jumped on board. The defendant then thiew the tin ot boiling tar overboard, and it Fc't fire to the lighter which was lying alongside. There was no serious damage done. The complainant taid he did not wish to press the charge heavily against the defendant; lie merely wished to deter others from committing the same offence. The Magistrate said there was a very heavy penalty attached to this offence, but he would not impose it in this case as this was a first offence. The defendant v;as fined 203 and co^ts. The Charge of Abduction.—Louisa West land was charged on remand, on the information ol Gib Lard Weichmann, wit'j decoying from the cQstody of her lawful guardian, a young unmarried girl, nat/ied Johanna Eggeling. Mr Ward appeared for the complaiuant, and Mr Harvey for the defence. Mr Ward mentioned tr ,»t he did not expect to be able to prove tb c girl's age. The Magistrate said it was abr olutely necessary to the case to prove that the girl was under sixteen years of age, ai? d unruairied. Mr Ward could produce the passport, under which the girl let. Germany; in which her age was stated, and alio the articles of apprenticeship un']er which the girl was handed over to tb c complainant by her father, in which he' r oge was stated to be fifteen years. Thf ; Magistrate did not think this evidence sufficient. Mr Ward then intimated that he had abandoned the cade. MrXfarvey said lie was exceedingly sorry t'.iat the ca<e had not gone on. In a c>'initial charge he could not admit the age, else he would have been willing to do p o . He expected that the facts of the Case would come before the Court iv another form. The prisoner was discharged. AfSABLT.-—Aytnaa M'Kaig was charged with as|?.ulting WilHapi Pirrie, at Otakia, on the.*i4th inst.. The parties are butchers in th.c same, district; and the defendant felt bimsofi aggrieved at statements ,regardjng the beef which he sold, which

were circulated tbrongh the dii-trict by the plaintiff: On the night of the 14th, the defendant went to the ''plaintiff's house to ', ni-k if he had made b Jtertain statement, when angry words passed, and the defendant struck the plaintiff a blo*r on the mouth. The defendant wan fiued 20s and costs. There was a cross action for assault between the same parties, whicfc was dismissed.