MOSGIEL MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3214, 20 October 1915, Page 77

MOSGIEL MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., prcsidc-a over a Sitting of the court on Friday mornmg. Judgment was given for plaintiffs in the following casec : —George Paterson v. John M'Auliixe, claim £3 8s (costs 10s); James Matheson v. G. Pickering, claim 18s (costs 8s); Ebdon Paine v. Win. Ogilvie, claim £i Is 6d (costa ss). A number of defaulting Territorials were charged with failing to attend parades and camps. Lieutenant Bracks and . Sergeantmajor Cuddio represented the defence authorities. —For tailing to attend parades Charles Knudson was lined 2'Ja ancl coats. He had attended only two out of 10 parades. The Magistrate warned him that ho must attend parades in future, or he would ba. dealt with severely. Ho asked the sergeantmajor to bring a second case against fchia man if ho did not attend better. Wm. Bryce was charged with failing to attend the annual camp.—The caso was adjourned till December 10 to enable inquiries to be made regarding Bryce’s exemption because he was medically unfit. A case against John O’Brien was dismissed, as he gave a satisfactory explanation that his temporary absence from the district at Pukerangi accounted for his non-fulfilment of tiiu conditions, and lie had written notifying the sergeant-major, but the letter was delayed unavoidably.—The Magistrate intimated that O’Brien must notify the sergeantmajor when he returned to the district again. Albert J. Murdoch, who is in tho North Island, was fined £5 and costs for not attending the annual encampment and attending parades badly. John Thomson - was lined £2 and costs. He is at present in the North Island, and had attended a camp there, but not parades. Ho had not notified his arrival in the northern district to his superior officer. Walter Begbie, who is at present at Kaitangata, was fined £5 and costs. Ho had been untraccd for some time, and had avoided all parades and camps. A case aga.nst T. E. Giles was struck out, as a letter was received from tho authorities at Bluff, where he is at present, that he had been sick, and, when possible, had attended parades there. Albert Come (MosgioJ), Albert M'Laohlau (Fairfield), and Arthur Anderson (Fairfield) were charged with breaking windows on August 28 —one in Mrs J age’s shop, three in the Taicri Advocate office, and one in Mr Seaton’s shop. Tho total damage done was estimated at £s.—Each defendant pleaded ‘‘Guilty” to only one e/large each.— The defendants stated that the breakages wero unintentional. —Currie stated that his elbow was pushed through Jago’s window, Anderson said he tapped the windows in tho Advocate office carelessly with his bicycle pump, and M'Lachlan said he was throwing a bottle away and it slipped through Seaton’s window. —The evidence disclosed that those three men and others had spent the evening drinking to a certain and that one of them had partich pated_ in a fight at a street corner. Thg mischief was evidently done as they went homo. —The Magistrate asked M‘Lachlan, who is only 20 years of age, where he got tho drink, and he replied that he took it tc Mosgie! with him. A few days after the offence had been committed the defendants had instructed a glazier to repair the damages.—The Magistrate said it was a deplorable thing that a young man like M'Laohlan should be in such a state with drink. Ho inflicted fines, and ordered damages to be made good, which totalled £5 5s 4d against each defendant, or an alternative of tliroe weeks each in gaol. A fortnight wai allowed in which to pay the finee.