POLICE COURT

Southland Times, Issue 17831, 7 September 1916, Page 2

POLICE COURT

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER. (Before Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M.)’. • BREAKING A WINDOW. Frank McAuliffc was charged with breaking a window with a stone. It was stated that the damage had been made good, and the defendant was therefore convicted and discharged. BREACHES OF BY DAWS. Daniel Kingsland was fined 30s and 7s costs for permitting a chimney on premises owned by him to go on fire. Eric Daniel was fined £1 and costs 7s and Barrie Brand 5s for riding bicycles on the footpath. DEFENCE PROSECUTIONS. "William Joseph O’Connor , a senior cadet, was charged with failing to render personal service under the Defence Act. He was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. An adjourned charge of a similar nature against Charles Edward Young was heard, and In this case also the defendant was ordered to come up for sentence. DRUNKENNESS. Two first offenders were convicted of drunkenness and discharged. KEEPING LIQUOR FOR SALE. His Worship delivered his reserved judgment in the case of William Henry Mustoe, who was charged with keeping liquor for sale. The accused was convicted and fined £SO and costs. THEFT OF A LAWN MOWER. A first offender was charged with having on July 23 at Gladstone stolen a lawn mower valued at £1 ss, the property of Fosbery Handyslde. Evidence was given for the prosecution by Fosbery Handyslde and John Edward Garth, who Identified the property, and by William Kearney, gardener in the employ of Mrs Guthrie, Waikiwi. Kearney stated that he had not given the accused permission to remove any lawn mower from Guthrie’s or elsewhere. Constable Pont stated that he had gone to the accused with a search warrant and had stated his errand. The accused said that Wm. Kearney, employed by Mrs Guthrie, had given the lawn mower to him to sharpen. As a matter d'f fact the lawn mower had not been sharpened, and the accused had had no authority to remove it. The accused said that lie had been drunk, and, acting under the impression that he was on Mrs Guthrie’s property, whither he had gone to see Kearney, ho had taken the lawn mower away, and on wet days had put in time sharpening it. A conviction was recorded and a fine of £5 and costs Imposed, in default, one month’s imprisonment. Time was allowed in which to pay. THEFT OF A BICYCLE. Isabella Brown, a girl sixteen years of age, pleaded not guilty to stealing on July 20 a bicycle, vaiped at £5, the property of Alice Vera Robinson. Senior-Sergeant Burrows said that the complainant had on July 20 gone to visit a relative, and had left her bicycle outside on the street. When she was leaving, she discovered that the machine was missing. Recently she had seen the bicycle being ridden by the accused’s sister and had identified it as hers at the police station. Alterations had been made in its appearance.

The complainant identified the bicycle produced as the one she had lost. The black paint had been covered by aluminium paint and the saddle-bag was missing. ~ 41 , . Constable Newman gave evidence that the accused had made a statement to the effect that a girl seven or eight years of age had sold the bicycle to her for 10s, which was not paid over.

Senior-Sergeant Burrows pointed out that the date on which the accused alleged that she had purchased the bicycle coincided with that on which Miss Robinson had missed it. The accused in the box repeated her storv regarding the manner in which the bicycle came into her possession. The bicycle had been painted up to make it look bptter. Questioned as to the appearance of the “little girl,” the alleged vendor of the bicycle, the accused went into details regarding dress, etc. She maintained that she could always remember what a lady had on —outside —if she looked at her. The accused was convicted and ordered to conic up for sentence when called upon. APPLICATION FOR SEPARATION ORDER. Sarah Ann Waters proceeded against her husband, .lohn Charles Waters, for a separation order on grounds of persistent cruelty. Mr Eustace Russell appeared for the complainant, and Mr 11. A. Macdonald for the defendant. A number of witnesses were called in support of the- complainant's allegations and the defendant gave evidence on his own behalf. His Worship expressed a doubt as to whether the alleged conduct of the defendant would constitute “persistent cruelty,” and the case was adjourned to 10 o'clock this .morning for legal argument upon the point.