CITY POLICE COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7654, 30 August 1886, Page 4

CITY POLICE COURT.

Saturday, August 28.

[Before Messrs J. L. Gillies and G. Fenwick,

J.P's.)

Deunkekness.—Fora first offenceof drunkenness one person was fined 5s and costs, with the alternative of 24 hours' imprisonment. Assault.—John Samuels was charged with having assaulted Alexander Miller and Thomas Hill in Princes street on the 27th inst.—Mr Hodge appeared for the complainants, and Mr D.M. Stuart for the defendant.—From the evidence it appeared that thedefendant, Samuels, was riding a restive horse, when he and the horse were struck by snowballs. He was very nearly thrown, and as he saw one of the complainants drawing his arm back after apparently throwing the snowball, he rode up, got a man to hold his horse, and struck Miller and Hill; one of them being pointed out to him as having thrown snowballs. The complainants swore that they did not throw snowballs, and their evidence was corroborated by John Coonan, who was with them at the timo, while evidence in support of the defendant's case was given hy Louis Haklen, who deposed that the snowballs came from the direction of the complainants. —Mr Stuart submitted that, the case should fail. The defendant admitted having struck the lads under the ciroumstances detailed, but it was acase in which if lads indulged in snowballing they must take the consequences. Possibly an offence against good order had been committed, and the police might take proceedings against the complainants and the defendant, but a prosecutiou of the kind before the court should, he submitted, be dismissed.— The bench were clearly of opinion that an assault had been committed. The defendant acknowledged having struck two of tho lads, but the benoh were also as distinctly of opinion from the' evidence of the complainants that they were the first offenders. There was not. the slightest doubt that the snowballs that struck the defendant and his horse were thrown by the complainants, and the information would therefore be dismissed.—Case dismissed.

This concluded tho business,