CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18463, 26 January 1922, Page 3

CITY POLICE COURT

• Wednesday, January 25. i (Before Mr H. i’. Widdowson, S.M.) An Explanation Accepted.—James _ Alexander Bennie was charged with the theft of a dog kennel,'valued at 355, the property of Henry V. Fulton. The evidence for the prosecution was to the effect that the kennel was missed from Mr Fulton’s residence at Vnuxhall (in which ho had ndt lived lor some months, and visited only about once a week) a -few days ago, ' an information was given to the police by Edward William Merry, caretaker. —Constable . Meiklejohn, when searching for the kennel, saw it in Rennie’s place, and he at once admitted that he hod taken it, intending to return it. Mr Fulton and Merry both denied that thy had given Rennie permission to enter the premises, or to remove the kennel. The latter said it would have to be' carried up-hill for about three chains.—Rennie stated that lie* had had 42 years’ business relations with Mr Pulton, which he thought justified him in taking the loan of the kennel, which’ he wanted for hia dog one hot day when he and his family oamc into Dunedin, and it was pure procrastination on his part that it had not been returned.—Mr Fulton said he was quite prepared to accept accused’s statement that he had merely borrowed the kennel, and the Magistrate said he would give him the benefit of the doubt. Such a thing as borrowing without authority was not unknown, but accused had to thank himself for being brought before the court, and it ought to be a warning to him in future. ; Licensing Prosecutions. —Hugh Johnston was charged with being on the premises of the Terminus Hotel after hours (at 6.20 p.m.) on December 12 last. Defendant did not appear.—Constable Frew stated that on me date mentioned he saw defendant coming out of the hotel at 6.20 p.m. with two bottles of beer in his possession. Gn seeing witness he ran back into the hotel, and hid the boor behind a door. He said that he had purchased the beer before 6 o’clock but bad been ill and unable to leave the hotel-before the constable saw’ him.—He was fined 20s, and 7s costs, Charles Nieper was charged with being on the premises of the Waterloo Hotel at 11.30 p.m. on December s.—Subinspector Eccles told the bench that Mrs Nicper had watched her husband and saw him enter the hotel at 10.45 p.m. She informed the police, who caught mm coming out. —Defendant said he went to the hotel to borrow a key for a box, he having lost his, but he did not explain what kept him’ in the hotel for three-quarters of an hour. — The Sub-inspector remarked that if all the excuses given in cases like these were collected and published they would make queer reading.—Defendant was fined 20s, and 11a costa.-——James Grainger was charged with being in the Caledonian Hotel, Carroll street, at 8.5 p.m. on December 11.—Defendant appeared and admitted the offence, but said he was merely there for a purpose which was not an offence —The Magistrate refused to accept the explanation, and imposed a fin© of 20s, with 7s costs.: James Dennis Duggan, who did not appear, was charged with being in the Crown Hotel at 9.30 p.m. on December 23. — Sub-inspector Ecclcs stated that Duggan was seen coming out of the hotel with a bottle of beer, which he said: a boarder had >given him. On making inquiries, however, another boarder claimed to have given him the beer. —Defendant was fined 20s, with 7s costs. Maintenance. —Arthur Wright, who failed to appear, was charged by hia wife (for whom Mr Penfold appeared) with failing to obey a maintenance order, there being £3 3s owing. —Evidence to that effect was given by ,the clerk of court, and accused was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, to be released on payment of the arrears due. Albert Francis Duff was charged with failing to obey an order for the maintenance of his wife and three children, there being £7 17a 6d arrears duo on December 7.—Defendant admitted the arrears, but said that he was discharged at a moment’s notice, because, when he “had a little drink in” he argued with the foreman about doing hia duties.— Mrs Duff said tliat the reason for his discharge was drunkenness, and that in addition to his legitimate children he had two illegitimate ones to support.—Defendant said ho had not had constant employment since three weeks before Christmas, but the Magistrate pointed out that tho arrears were due at that date. —Accused was sentenced to a month's imprisonment, to be released on payment of the amount due.