MAGISTERIAL

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6233, 4 June 1890, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL

TEMUKA —Monday, 2nd June. (Before 0. A. Wray, Esq., E.M.) DRUNKENNESS. John Towner was convicted of being an habitual drunkard and was sentenced to 14 days imprisonment and ordered pay costs of maintenance. George Ramsay (an old offender) was charged with being drunk and disorderly, resisting the police, and using obscene and disgusting language. He was sentenced to three months imprisonment for assault, and three months for using obscene language, the sentences to run concurrently. He was also ordered to pay some former costa against him. Michael McAteer was charged with permitting persons in a state of drunkenness to remain on his licensed premises, known as the Roy al Hotel. Defendant pleaded not guilty. Mr Calhi-o appeared for the defence, and asked that the information should be dismissed, as the section under which it was laid did not apply, there being nothing to ’ show that the persons got drunk on the premises, and the law did not compel the licensee to turn thorn out. His Worship upheld the objection, and permitted the information to be withdrawn that it might be amended by next Court day. ABUSIVE LANGUAGE. Defendant was then charged with having used language calculated to cause a breach of the peace, under section 29 of Police Offences Act. He pleaded not guilty. Mr Cathro having elicited the fact that the language complained of was used in the bar, referred to section 18 of the Act, and raised the objection that a bar was not a public place within the moaning of the Act. His Worship agreed with this view of the matter and dismissed the information. GAMBLING. Henry Smith and Robert Smith were charged with conducting a lottery on the 27th April. Mr Hay appeared for the defendants and pleaded not guilty. From the evidence it appeared that a bullock and a pony had been disposed of by lottery at a social gathering held on 27th April last in connection with the Winchester church. A permit had been obtained from the Colonial Secretary. The only part taken in it by Mr Robert Smith had been that of holding two hats.

H. B. Smith stated that he had assisted to get up a raffle for a bride cake, but bad not taken part in any of the others. His Worshi p dismissed the information. TROUT POACHING. Thomas Egan and Henry Smallridge were charged with unlawfully taking and killing a trout contrary to to the regulations. Mr Salmond appeared for the Geraldine County Acclimatisation Society. Mr Hay for the defendants. J. R. Roberts, ranger for the society, gave evidence as to seeing tho defendants in a boat on the Temuka river, spearing. He concealed himself, and Smallridge afterwards passed him carrying a flounder. Egan carried a kerosene tin in which there was a trout. Witness told him he would take charge of the trout. The defendant made no objection, but asked him to throw it into the river and say nothing about it. Said he would speak to the secretary. The defendants swore that they found the trout in tho boat when they bailed it out. It had been speared and looked fresh. They were taking it to show the other men that someone had been spearing trout. They positively denied having speared tho trout. It did not occur to them to tell Roberts they had found it. His Worship considered that there had been a distinct breach of the regulations, and he could not altogether accept the defendant’s story. They would be fined £3 each, costs 295, and solicitor’s fee 21s. MAINTENANCE. Tongrove v. Tengrove. This was an adjourned case of an application for an order for maintenance. An order was made for payment of 5s per week by a son in Christchurch, and a similar order in respect of another son in tho North Island, provided the information furnished concerning him proved correct. CIVIL CASES. H. Freel v. T. MoAteer; claim, £5, for harvesting. Judgment for the amount claimed and costs. J. Meyer v. Ragu Williams ; a judgment summons. After hearing evidence as to the defendant’s means of paying, His Worship declined to make an order. G. H. Mogridge v. Jackson Griffin ; claim, £4 9s lid, a judgment summons. Mr Salmond for plaintiff. After evidence had been taken as to tho means of defendant, the case was adjourned for three months. J. Brown v. Philip Wragg, a judgment summons. A$ order was made for payment forthwith, or in default 7 days imprisonment. Tho court then rose.