CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18894, 21 June 1923, Page 13

CITY POLICE COURT

Wednesday, Juke 19. (Before Hr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.) A Constable’s Purchase.—John Burt pleaded guilty to the theft ol' a saddle valued at £2, belonging to Charles Lucas.—Senior Sergeant Matheson said that the man, who had been travelling a stallion, had borrowed the saddle and had subsequently tried to sell it for £6. Eventually he sold it to Constable Macartney, of Waitahuna, for £2 2s 6d. —For the accused, Mr Barrowclough said that Burt was addicted to drink. He had served in the army with counsel and drink had been his trouble then. Hr Barrowclough said he was sura that Burt’s action had been more foolish than criminal in intent, and that, if he were placed under control, there would be no further trouble. —The Magistrate ordered the accused to be placed on probation for two years, conditions being that ho make restitution to the constable and take out a prohibition order. Remanded to Invercargill.—George Victor Eeed was charged with making a false declaration to the registrar of marriages at Dunedin, causing an entry to be made that he was a bachelor whereas, having been married at Wellington on June 16, 1922, he was either a widower or a married man.—Sergeant Dunlop asked that the accused be remanded to appear at Invercargill on June 25, and the magistrate granted the remand accordingly. Another Remand. —Kathleen Jane Mauritson, who appeared on remand on a charge of stealing eleven pairs and a-half of stockings, was further charged with the theft of a pair of slippers valued at 5s lid, belonging to Joseph M'TCiiy, and with stealing a pot of “vanishing cream,” belonging to John Robert M’Konzie.—On the application of the police a remand for a week was granted. A Firemen’s Fracas.—John Sells, a fireman on the s.s. Katoa, pleaded not guilty to assaulting Arthur Rogers and to using obscene language on the wharf. —Evidence was given by George Brown, Harbour Board nightwatchman, and William Keene, nightwatchman, employed by the Union Steamship Company, that they saw the accused, the complainant, and another man come down the gangway and on to the wharf. The complainant was invited to fight by Sells and was then struck by the latter. The result was an exchange of blows, and Sells got the other man among, a crowd of waterside worker's, knocked him down, kicked him and jumped on him before he could bo pulled off, —Tiie complainant said that he had been drinking wifh Sells and the other man earlier in the day, but the effects had pretty well disappeared by the time of tho trouble. There was feeling between him and the accused owing to his coming from Liverpool, while the other came from London,—Sergeant Turner gave evidence as to having been called to the scene and as to what had occurred. The accused and the men who came off tho boat with him, he said, were both Cockneys and the complainant came from Liverpool.—The accused declared that he had neither insulted nor assaulted the complainant. The latter had called him a name and had hit him.—Tho Magistrate, addressing accused; The evidence shows that you are a dirty fighter. You not only knocked him about but kicked him.—Tho captain of the boat, when questioned, stated that there had been nothing against the accused previously. —The Magistrate remarked that ho had a good mind to send the man to gaol without the option of a fine, but in view of the captain’s statement he would lino him £5, with the alternative of a month’s imprisonment on the charge of assault, and £2, in default, 14 days’ imprisonment on the other charge. Two witnesses were allowed 10a expenses between them and there was an instruction that the assaulted man receive half the fine.