CITY POLICE COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20385, 17 April 1928, Page 7

CITY POLICE COURT.

Monday, April 16. (Before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. A first offender who did not appear to nnswer a charge of being found drunk in Water street on Saturday, was fined 20s, in default 48 hours' imprisonment. A statutory first offender named George Riley, who did not appear in answer to a charge of being found drunk in Maclaggan street, was fined 12s Cd, in default 24 hours' imprisonment. HOSTILE BEHAVIOUR. "This man was outside the Empire Hotel on Saturday afternoon,, challenging everyone to fight," said Senior Sergeant Quarterman when Aaron Davis pleaded guilty to a charge of behaving in a disorderly manner jn Princes street. The Senior Sergeant added that the defendant was using indecent language, and was particularly abusive when arrested.— Davis was fined 20s, in default three days' imprisonment. A PENNILESS LOITERER. Shortly after Christmas an elderly man named James Cooper arrived in Dunedin with £53 in his possession. A few weeks ago his funds ran out, and his subsequent habits and movements attracted the attention of the police.—When Cooper was charged with being a rogue and a vagabond he pleaded not guilty, and stated that after his funds were exhausted he stayed vith a friend.—Constable Fitzgibbon said that for the past six weeks he had noticed a man loitering about near the fountain and the Stock Exchange. This man was the accused. When' .arrested Cooper was in a filthy condition.—Sergeant M'Carthy said that for some weeks past Cooper had been about town with half-drunken men, and he seemed to be making no effort to obtain employment.—" I will give you a chance, although you are not entitled to it," said the Magistrate, addressing the accused. • " You will be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called on within six months. This means that you must leave the town or get work immediately, otherwise you will .be brought up on the present charge and given a long stretch.'' . HOSING A BUILDING. A charge described as the second of its kind heard in Dunedin was preferred 'against Ernest James Perry, who Pleaded guilty to using, through a hose* on March 21 in Cumberland street, water supplied by the Dunedin City Council otherwise than by a meter, and contrary to an agreement in writing.—For the prosecution it was stated that Perry was washing down a building—an act that could not be carried out legally, according to the by-laws.-" I suppose you were acting under instructions from your employer?" asked the Magistrate. Defendant: "Yc,»-The Magistrate; "Why was the charge not laid against the firm?"—The Inspector said that Perry had stated previously that he bad Suctions to wash the build ng, but no Z hose it—The Magistrate: " How could w wash a building without using a hoseV, It almost looks as if the firm is using this man in order that the fine wi S be so .-,ig "-Defendant was ordered to pay costs amounting to 10s. A STORY DENIED. On the evening of March 31 a constable saw a man ending from mended, but the night po^jgg knowledge of the transaction.-Clark was bajecfiithbeing found on licensed pro. mises after hours, and pleaded not gu£y. —After explaining how he had caught sight of tli man. Constable Potts added that when he returned from h'B interview with the night porter the defendant h«l vanished—ln evidence, the Defendant said that he had not been inside the hotel - that evening.-The Senior Sergeant: Will you say on oath that you were not i„ the hotel oifice?-Defendant: \es, I will swear that.—The Senior Sergeant asked for an adjournment in order that the evidence of the licensee s wife might bo obtained—The Magistrate: It is not necessary. The police make mistakes sometimes, but in this case I can well believe the constable's story.—Defendant was fined £2, with costs (10s). LICENSEE'S WIFE CONVICTED.

When Ada May Walters was charged with exposing liquor for sale at the Portobello ■ Hotel, at a time when the premises were not entitled to be open Senior Sergeant Quartermain said that he had visited the hotel in company with Sergeant Dunlop while both were engaged on other business. They found three men in the bar. There was no suspicion of after-hour trading, and the licensee was in bed at the time. The defendant, who was the wife of the licensee, was new to the trade, and did not understand the position fully.—The Magistrate: Why have you not charged the licensee? He is the one who is liable The Senior Sergeant replied that the police had not wished to bring the licensee into it. as it had not been his fault.—Mr A. C. Hanlon, who appeared for the defendant, said that Walters had been in the hotel for 17 months and was hotelkeeping for the first time. He had changed the place from a drinking house into a real hotel.—The defendant was convicted, and fined £3, with costs (10s). Charges arising out of the previous case were preferred against three men named John Garthwaite, Reginald Oxford, and Arthur Wilson each of whom was charged with being found on licensed premises at a time when they were required to be closed.—Thev did not appear, and each was fined £l, with costs (10s).

BY-LAW CASES. For driving his horse past a constable on point duty when ordered to stop, John Hussey was fined 10s, with costs (10s). Daniel Murphy, who failed to obey a constable’s signal to . stop at the Stock Exchange on March 30, was fined 10s, costs (10s). For being the unlicensed driver of a motor car on February 26, Jack Mackay was fined 20s. costs (10s). “ I kept putting the matter off,” was the excuse forwarded to the court in writing by Stanley Bell, who was charged with failing to notify the proper authorities of the disposal of his car.—“ Well, he is candid enough,” commented the Magistrate.—The defendant was fined 10s, costs (10s). MAINTENANCE CASES.

Robert Riach Rae, a maintenance defaulter, was sentenced to two weeks’ imprisonment, with hard labour, to ho released on payment of solicitor’s fee amounting to £3 3s.

Wilfred Booth (Mr B. S. Irwin) applied for ii reduction of the maintenance order against him, on the grounds that since the order was made Lis circumstances were such that he could not keep up with the payments.—After hearing the evidence the. Magistrate remitted the arrears, and reduced the order to 7s fld a week. "This is not a case for further remission. You have been well subsidised by the State," said the Magistrate when James M'Glashan Sloan applied for the cancellation of a maintenance order in respect of his child.—ln evidence rfloan stated that he was an hotel porter, ami his wages were £o a week. His tips averaged £1 a week. lie paid fl 12s (3d a week in rent, and he had other children to support.—The Senior Sergeant: Is that all the big hotelkr-epers pav in wages?"—The Magistrate: "I suppose that there is an award."—The application was refused. AFFILIATION ORDER. An application was made for an affiliation order against Robert Bain Stewart. —ln. making the application Mr A. (.'. Hanlon said that Stcwwt had left New