CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18502, 13 March 1922, Page 7

CITY POLICE COURT

Saturday, March 11. (Before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.) Drunkenness —William Richard Rodger?, a statutory first offender, was fined 10s with the alternative of 48 hours’ imprisonment for drunkenness. Alleged Assault. —Henry Cameron was charged with' assaulting James M’Grath on March 10. Mr C. J. 1.. White, on behalf of the accused, asked for a remand till Monday. The accused was released till Monday on the understanding that he deposited as security the £3 found in his possession. Maintenance. —Percival Sylvester Knipe was charged with failing to maintain his wife and family. Mr Brasch. for the complainant, slated (hat the man had disappeared some time ago with another woman. He was brought hack, but his wife did not wish to proceed further against • him, and the question was the payment Of the expense of bringing him back. The expense was £l9 6s 6d. The man was now working in the country and had sent some money to his wife. There were six children not earning anything. His wife was under the impression he was sending her as much as he could.—The magistrate said that while he could hardly make a peremptory order at the present time the matter could not be allowed to drift indefinitely. He would adjourn the case for a further month and the defendant would have to give a proper account of his work and earnings.— Peter .lost was charged with, at Addison’s, near Westport, failing to provide his wife and four children with adequate maintenance —Chief-detective Bishop said that accused knew that the warrant waa out for his arrest, and he came in to th© Police Station the previous evening asking to be sent back to the West Coast. He was remanded to appear in Westport on March !8. ' A Strong Temptation.—Joseph Solomon was charged with stealing on February 23 the sum of £9 10s, the property of William Myles.—The accused said he was at a loss to know whether to plead ' guilty” or “not guilty,” and Chief-detective Bishop said he would explain the peculiar features of the case. A young man driving a butcher’s cart went to Mrs Myles's house, and to get change Mrs Myles went to her daughter’s purse and gave him what she thought was a 10s note and some silver. Tlie butcher, receiving a pound note later from a Mrs Hoff, gave her the note ho had got from Mrs Myles and some silver in change. Mrs Hoff employed the accused for a day’s gardening and in payment of 15s gave him the not© which she had got from the butcher and 5s Next morning Solomon came buck to her and said “you are glad to see me aren’t you?” explaining that all© had given him a £lO note instead of a 10s one. Mrs Hoff knew she had got it from the butcher and took the note to give him The butcher said he Had got it from Mrs Myles, but when he went to Mrs Myles about it, owing to her daughter being away, .-lie could not be quit© sure she had made the mistake Solomon returned later to (Mrs Hoff anil found that the owner had not yet been traced. Then he returned a third time and asked Mrs Hoff for the note saying he had found the owner, who had the number of it and was only trying tot test his honesty. Mrs Hoff gave him the note and he spent most of it on boots mid clothes. He had since paid back all the money he had taken.—Accused said there was u little difference in his version of the story. As scon as he found Ihe £lO note lie wont to Mrs Hoff. The butcher later said he knew nothing about ii and Mrs Myles had not missed it. He admitted frankly that when ho went back the third lime ho told Mrs Hoff a lie in. order to pet possession of the note. He gave bis age as 74. —'111e magistrate said it was uiifor. m-iite (hat such considerable temptation hail been placed in the way cf this old man. He would Vie convicted and ordered to come up for sentenro when called upon within 12 months.