CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23500, 14 May 1938, Page 3

CITY POLICE COURT

Friday, May IS (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) Drunkenness Charge Joseph Woods, a middle-aged man residing at Pine Hill', was charged with being drunk in charge of a horse and cart. The accused had been before the court on a similar charge twice previously, Senior Sergeant Claasen said. “ The horse appeared to have been punished as much as the man,” he said. Woods was fined 40s, in default 48 hours imprisonment. Telephone Hoax William Francis Titchener, for whom Mr I. B. Stevenson appeared, pleaded guilty to charges of making false statements while using g telephone and of sending a teleg.am purporting to have been sent by another person.—Chief Detective Young said that the complainant, Mr Cardno, was a crane driver and was accustomed to getting telephone calls from the harbour authon.ies asking him to go to the wharves at short notice to help in unloading operations. He had received a call late on the night of March 22 purporting to come from the piermaster and had gone to the wharves only to find it a hoax. He went on holiday the following day and received a telegram at Timaru, also purporting to come from the piermaster, stating that he would be paid overtime on his return He had been put to considerable inconvenience and also the expense of a taxi to the wharves. It appeared to have been a mere practical joke, and there was no suggestion of any malice.—Mr Stevenson said that tne

hoax was not premeditated and that there was no suggestion that it was a drunken joke. The telegram was sent on the assumption that Cardno, who was a friend of the defendant, would realise that it was merely a friendly joke.-—1 he magistrate commented that this appeared to be an example of the strange sense of humour possessed by some people. The charges were dismissed subject to payment of court costs (10s). An application for suppression of the names was refused. Breach of Regulations Raymond E. Fitzer pleaded guilty to a breach of the Electrical Wireman’s Act The offence concerned the demonstration of a washing machine.—Evidence was given by Chief Inspector Young, of the Electric Power Department.—The magistrate said it was important that all regulations should'be complied with. A fine of 20s and costs (10s) was imposed.

Unpaid Levy William Allison Duncan pleaded guilty to two charges of failure to pay the unemployment levy. The levy and fines had since been fully paid, it was said.—The accused was convicted on both charges and ordered to pay court costs (10s) on the first charge. Employment of Boys Allen Herbert Sim and Mervyn Fulton Valpy, for both of whom Mr G. T. Baylee appeared, Edward Forsyth Lloyd and Henry Paisley were 4 each fined 30s and costs (10s) for employing boys under 16 years ot age before 7 a.m. —All of the defendants were milk vendors, and Mr Baylee said the experience of his clients was that it was extremely difficult to get men to remain in that employment. In this enlightened age, men would not begin work at 6 a m., and the result was that milk vendors had either to take the dregs of the labour market or else train boys. Mr Baylee said the Labour Department would issue permits for any boy over 14 years of age who had passed Standard V to go to work in a factory for eight hours a day for 22s 6d a week. That was defeating the purpose of the Act. The department’s sole objection in these cases was that the boys began work before 7 a.m. Wandering Cattle For allowing cattle to wander, Joseph Moss was tjned 5s and costs (10s). Charges Dismissed Clarence Henry Forrest and James Barron Hansen, who were represented by Mr W. H. Carson, were charged with being found at night in the yard of premises occupied by Chinese fruiterers in South Dunedin. Evidence was given by Sergeant Sughrue, Constable Drake, Ah Kum and Lowe Kwong.—The charges were dismissed on payment of witnesses’ expenses (8s) and court costs (16s) each. Committed for Sentence George Francis Symon, a garage attendant, of Oamaru, aged 20, and married (Mr B. A. Quelch) pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking and entering , the shop of John George Adam on November 20, 1937, and committing theft.—Chief Detective Young conducted the prosecution, and Symon was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. —John George Adam, a watchmaker and jeweller in • business at 269 King Edward street, South Dunedin, said that on Friday, November 19, 1937, he closed his shop at 9.10 p.m., when everything Was secured. He returned to the shop at 2 a.m. the following morning and found that a plate glass window had been smashed. He checked' his stock and found a woman’s wristlet watch, two pearl rings, a gold signet ring, a gold wedding ring, and a gold tiki ring had been stolen from the window. He valued the stolen property at £8

Bs. He identified a tiki ring pro-; duced in court and said'a signet ring produced was similar to thr one taken from his shop. Witness, did not know the accused.— tive J. Gibson said the accused wat arrested at Oamaru on May 2. Wit> ness interviewed him and showed* him a statement taken at Oamaru# In that statement the accused ad-$ mitted that he was implicated uv this offence. It said that he and «£ friend had had to use a car, and both had had some liquor. His mat© smashed a window and came baejf to the car with a pad of rings. the best of his knowledge his mate - still had the remainder of the rings. The whole thing was done in a spirit of bravado. He did not wish to give the name of the person# allegedly associated with him in' this offence, but had later disclosed; it to witness. Symon had given the, police every assistance in clearing; the matter up.—The accused was; committed to the Supreme Court, for sentence, and an application for; bail was refused.

Driving Without Care , * ' Charles Harold Skuse guilty to a charge of driving with-; out due care and attention and was. fined £2 10s and costs (10s). Unlicensed Driver Ah Young Chong was fined :5s and costs (10s) for being an unlicensed driver and 10s and costs (10s) for driving a motor truck for which he did not have a warrant of fitness. Case Adjourned Charges of negligent driving and of being intoxicated in charge of a motor car against Norman Bailes were adjourned to May 20 on the application of Senior Sergeant Claasen. No Warrant of Fitness Robert Finlayson Smith appeared voluntarily on a charge of driving « motor car without a warrant of fitness and was fined 10s and costs (3s). No Heavy Traffic Licence The New. Zealand Express Company, Ltd., was fined 20s and costs (10s) for allowing a lorry to be used when it did not have a heavy traffic licence. Frpm the same set of circumstances, Robert Adams was ordered to pay court costs (10s) for driving a lorry without a heavy traffic, licence. Maintenance James Leslie Rapson appeared on remand on a charge of failing to maintain his wife. He was also proceeded against 1 on a warrant for maintenance. An order was made for maintenance at 35s a week. Past; maintenance was fixed at £lO, and, payment of arrears was suspended; until a further order was made by> the court. For failure to maintain; the defendant was convicted and or-, dered to come up for sentence if; called upon within 12 months.