CITY POLICE COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10361, 16 May 1895, Page 4

CITY POLICE COURT.

■Wednesday, May 15. (Before Messrs A. Thomson and D. H. Hastings, ■ 'i J.Fs). Drunkenness.—One first offender was convicted and discharged, and Louis Williamson, who was drunk at Roslyn, and Mary Byrne, each of whom had beeu once convicted, were similarly dealt' with.—Maria Oqnway, against whom there were 24 previous convictions, and who had been twice before the court within the last six months, was fined 20$, with the alternative of 14 days' imprisonment.—Annie Vilet, who was before the court the previous day for the same offence, and who had been twice convicted of drunkenness and once of larceny, was fined 20s, in default seven days imprisonment. Obstructing the Police.—A young man named William Hayes pleaded not guilty to having, on tho 14th inst., m the Rainbow Hotel, obstructed Constable Ferguson while in the execution of his d"ty.—*ergaant °'Neill said the facts were that a little after 10 o'clock the previous night accused and two other young men were in the Rainbow Hotel, George street. The licensee closed the place at 10 o'clock, aad asked them to Seave, but they would not, and persisted in storing where they were. He remonstrated with them when they refused to leave, and they then became noisy and troublesome, and he went out for a policeman and found Constable Ferguson. They returned to the hotel, and both the landlord and the constable asked the young men to leave, and as they would not do so the constable put his hand on the. shoulder of one of them, and again asked him to leave. The accused came bellied and pulled the constable back, and the man got away. Accused then rushed out into the street, but was followed by the constable and caught. The constable subsequently was joined py another. The publican had a right in such instances as the one under notice to eject the offenders, and if he did not could call in a policeman and make him expel them or assist in expalling them, so that the constable was perfectly justified in what he did ; in fact, he was required to do as hs did by the law.—Constable Ferguson depossd that he was called upon by the licensee to put three men out, of whom accused was one. -they would not leav« the hotel. Witness tried to remove a man named Simpson, and accused and tilts other (51'liwen) rushed him from the back. Accused caught him by the back of the collar, and the man Simpson got away. Witness turned round to catch accused, but he also ran away, and' witness followed Mm up and took him into custody.—To accused: You pulled me off the other man. I don't remember you saying "You are doing your duty, but don't exceed your duty.'—Thomas Cuttle, licensee of the Rainbow Hotel, deposed that hfi wanted the young men to leave at 10 o'clock, but they would not. The accused wanted to go. Neither Simpson nor M'Ewen would go out, and accused said something to the constable, when he had hold of Simpson, about not exceeding his duty, and pulled the constable back. The men were very troublesome, although accused was for going away. The language used in the hotel was very filthy. Accused was quite quiet.—Accused said they nrent into the hotel a little before 10 o'clock and had * couple of drinks. A little after 10 Mr Cuttle was shutting the hotel, and requested them to leave. There were a lot of other men in the place, and they (accused and his party) said they would hive a drink before they went Hr Cuttle afterwards went for a policeman. The speaker thought the constable was using unnecessary violence, and he put his baud on his shoulder and said, "Don't be rough with the man. Dsn't treat him like a bag of chaff "—Sergeant O'Neill hiving stated that ancused had been before the court in December 1593 for wilfully damaging property, he was fined 10s, in default 48 hours' imprisonment, tho Bench remarking that the licensee and the police must be protected, and that accused had laid himself open to a very heavy fine. —Accused : I was the least offensive of the lot.