CITY POLICE COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10769, 6 April 1897, Page 4

CITY POLICE COURT.

Monday, April 5. Before Messrs It. "Watson and S. G. Smith, J.Fs.) Drunkenness.—Two first offenders were convicted aud discharged, and Heary William Pearsou, who had 38 previous convictions against him ! but had not been before the court sinco 1898. waa fanedlOym default 4S hours' imprisonment. Jair.es Kerr, against whom there was one previous conviction, was fined ss, with the alternative of 24 hours m gao l. Ellen I-'innegan pleaded guilty to being drunk and not zui!tr to being a disorderly person having insufficient lawful means of support. — Constable Wohlmau deposed that he had known the accused for about IS months. She was a ivcuiau of the town, and he had never Known her to do any work. She had no settled place ot abode.—Evideuca having been aUo given TtTi- Dett'ctive O'Connor, and the Sergeant ot I'oUce having mentioned that accused had been. o2 times before the court previously, she was convicted and sentenced to 14 days' Imprisonment on the nrst charge and three months' on the second, the sentences to run concurrently. Assaulting the I'olice.—Michael Hayes was charged with assaulting Chief Dstective O'Conuor while ;n the execution of his duty on the 3rd vnst.—Jj.r Hanlon defended, and pleaded not guilty.—Sergeant O'JSeil! stated that about 10 o clock on Saturday night the chief detective and Detective M'Grath were on duty at the south end of Princes street. They were walking on the footpath near the Spanish Restaurant when accused and another man csme past, and just as they passed accused struck tha chief detective in the stomach a severe blow with his fist The detective immediately turned round and took accused, who was the worse of drink, into custody, lhe attack was a most wauton one.— Bridence was given by the two detectives, after which Mr faanlon argued that the case must be dismissed. The detective had said that he believed the accused did not know tint he was a police officer in the execution of his duty. If a man went up to and assaulted a constable in plain clothes not knowing he was a constable, he was onlf guilty of common assault. That being so counsel submitted that accused was entitled to an acquittal.—The Bench regretted they were not in a. position to convict accused. Dstective O'Connor had said that he.thought the accused did not know him, and they would give him the benefit of the doubt. Case dismissed. Rtoxe Throwing.—Two lads, named Hemy JMorrell and U illiam Burns, were charged with throwins stones to the danger of the premises of Susan Ann Hall ; of Cutten street, St. Kilda on the 26th March.—Mr Solomon, on behalf of Morrell, pleaded not guilty, and Burns pleaded frailty.—Sergeant O'Neill stated that Mis Hall lived in Cutten street, St. Kjld*, and had Been for some time past aunoyed by stones being thrown on her roof. She was sitting in her house in company with another woman about a quarter-past <3 o'clock in the evening when a volley of stone 3 fell on ths roof. Mrs Hall immediately went outside, and saw these two boys running away as hard as they could.—Evidence was given by Susan Ann Hall, Julia Rees, and the boy Burns.—Mr Solomon having addressed the court, he called John Morrell. Henry MorreU, Bridget Acnes Mbrrell, and Bridget Mary Cross.—The Bench decided to fine Burns 2s b'd. With regard to the other accused there was some hard swearing somewhere, and they must dismiss the case against him.