CITY POLICE COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15705, 6 March 1913, Page 11

CITY POLICE COURT.

Wedkesdm, Maech 5. (Before Mr EL Y. Widdowson, S.M.) Drunkenness.—William Grant, who appeared to answer <•>, charge of drunkenness, was in sach a bad state that the magistrate remanded him for seven days lor medical treatment. A first offender was lined ss, in default 24 hours' imprisonment. James Stewart, who was convicted on September 30 and November 2, 1912, pleaded "Guilty" to a similar charge, and was fined 40s, and ordered to pay 2s cab hire, in default 10 days' imprisonment. Supplying Ammunition.—John Lawrence Bell (Mr Moore) pleaded guilty to selling to a boy 15 years of age a packet of ammunition on February B.—Mr Moore said the facta were that the boy was employed by the National Electrical Engineering Company, which was a customer of tho New Zealand Hardware Company, by whom Bell was employed. The Hardware Company did practioaDy no retail business, but supplied people dealing with them with small quantities of goods. The boy went for some ammunition—about 6d worth. He was asked by tho defendant if ho was over 16 years of age, and ho 6aid he was, and it was not until he had this assurance that Bell supplied the-ammuni-tion.—The Slagistrate said these people were somewhat in tho same category a 6 a publican.—Mr Moore said that a publioan was a man who was well able to look after himself, and Bell could not be expected to recognise a boy 15 or 16 years of age. The defendant would not have mpplied the ammunition if tho boy had not told him an untruth, and it seemed a hardship on Bell that ho should be convicted because of this. —The boy gave evidence to the effect that on the day in qu<6tion he eaw Bell at the Hardware Company's buildings and bought a packet of cartridges from him, for which he paid 9d. Bell did not ask him his age.— Tho defendant contradicted this statement, and said there was a man in the shop who heard him talking to the previous witness about the cartridges, but ho (that man) could not say that ho heard him ask the boy if he was over 16 years of age.—The Magistrate said that Bell should have been in doubt about supplying the boy. He would not inflict a severe penalty on this occasion, ajid a fine of 10s, with oosts, would

be imposed. Supplying a Boy with a Pea Rifle.—B. M'Keich pleaded guilty to supplying a boy 15 years of ago with a pea rifle, and in extenuation said that lie Had thoughtlessly handed tho weapon to the boy without any regard as to whether he was 16 years or under.—Tho Magistrate imposed a fine of 20b, with costs (7s), at tho 6amo timo remarking that the result of supplying _ this boy with a riflo Tory nearly ended in a sad accident, as tho boy went to shoot close to where there was a squad of cadets drilling, and it was tho greatest good fortune that no one was injured. Embezzlement.—John Simpson Hunter was charged: (1) That on January 8 ho received £2 from Mrs M'Arthur; (2) chat / on January 4, he received 9s from Mrs Hymes; (3) that on January 9, ho received 193 from Mrs ffilkio; (4) on December 14, £1 Os 6d from lira Gilchrist; and on December 24, 83 from Miss Paterson, on terms rendering it necessary that he should account for theso amounts to James Donaldson, his employer, which lie failed to do.—The accuscd pleaded "Guilty' to all the charges.—Chief Detective Herbert said the accused had been employed delivering milk and collccting accounts by the complainant, who was a dairyman at Abbotsford. Between the dates mentioned the accused received the amounts in question, and failed to account for them, and was arrested on a warrant issued, after a complaint had lieen mado to Detective Ward, by the Goro policc. The total amount that he had taken was £4 16s 7Jd. The' accused had been convicted before, but that was a good while ago. He had been convicted four times altogether. In 1902, he was admitted to probation for forgery, and in 1907 he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for theft; while in 1911 he was convicted of false pretences in March, and in April of. that year lie yrss sentenced to ft month's imprisonment

on a oharge of theft. Since then nothing had been recorded against him. —The accused asked the magistrate to deal as leniently as possible with him.—The Magistrate said the accused stood in danger of being declared an habitual offender. He should remember that .this was about his last chance. On cach ; of the present charges he would bo convicted and sentenced to threo months' imprisonment with hard labour, the sentences to be concurrent.