MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Southland Times, Issue 18934, 22 September 1920, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

YESTERDAY’S BUSINESS. Several cases were dealt with at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, before Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M. DRUNKENNESS. A first offender for drunkenness was ordered to forfeit the amount of his bail, 10s. VAGRANCY. William Cooper, charged with being a rogue and a vagabond in that he was found by night without lawful excuse in the Waikiwi Cricket Club’s pavilion, pleaded guilty. Senior-Sergeant Eccles stated that Cooper had been knocking about the town for some time and had taken up his residence in the shed referred to. He had no money when arrested and never appeared to have any work to do. Recently he was found lying in the shed with only one blanket over him, and when spoken to said that he had been given permission to sleep there. On inquiries being made this was found to be incorrect. Constable Fulton said that the accused apparently left it very late before retiring to the shed. He had frequently been there between 10 and 11 o’clock but had never found the accused there at that time. In the morning, however, he had frequently seen Cooper leave the shed and wander off down the road. The accused was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, the Magistrate remarking that if he did not soon find some work to do he would again be brought before the Court.. RECKLESS DRIVING. Norman Brice was charged with driving a motor car along the North road on August 27 at. a speed dangerous to the public. Mr Reed appeared for the accused and pleaded not guilty. Senior-Sergeant Eccles prosecuted and stated that, at 7.55 p.m, on August 27 Brice was taking a number of passengers to a dance at Makarewa. He was seen to pass Duke street at a speed of about 45 miles an hour and to travel over the Waihopai bridge at about the same rate. A. H. Mackrell stated that he was waiting at the comer of Duke street to catch a tramcar, when he saw a motor car approaching at an unusual speed. Another man, who was also waiting for the tram, drew hb attention to the speed at which the car was travelling. Witness noticed that the car had a gold band around it and recognised it as belonging to one of the taxi-cab drivers. He considered that (he ear was travelling at a speed extremely dangerous- to the public. The motorman on the tramcar in evidence said that he saw the motor car pass at a fair rale of speed. Charles Alfred Collett, tile conductor, said that the motor car was travelling at a terrific speed when it passed the tram. Constable Austin stated that he had interviewed Brice on (he following day. Brice admitted that he was driving the car to Makarewa and said that he left town at about, a quarter or ten minutes to eight o'clock. Mr Reed submitted that taking (he small amount of traffic on the road at the time and the long experience of Brice as a driver, the speed at which the car was travelling wtts not dangerous to the public. Brice would state in evidence that the car was not travelling above 20 mile san hour and this was borne out by the fact that it took him twenty minutes to drive six miles.. The defendant stated that he had been driving a motor car for the last six years. On the night in question he left town at five minutes to 8 o'clock and did not reach the Makarewa hall until about 5.15. lie did not pass any other cars on the road. There was u speedometer on the car, hut he could not watch that and the road at the same time. He considered that he travelled at less than 20 miles an hour. The road nearer town was full of pot-holes, making it necessary to drive slowly. Stanley Aitken stated that he was a passenger in (he car driven by Brice. The ear left the taxi-stand at five minutes to 8 o’clock and arrived at Makarewa about twenty minutes later. He was in the, back of the car and could not say at what speed it was travelling. Muriel Lyons corroborated the evidence of the previous witness, and George Bryan gave evidence of the long experience of Brice as a driver. The Magistrate said that he was quite, satisfied that the car had travelled too fast. He did not like the fact that the car had not slackened its speed when passing the tram. The accused would be convicted and fined £lO and caste. EVADING PAYMENT OF TRAM FARE. A. Galbraith, who did not appear, was charged with evading the payment of a tram fare, while riding on a tramcar on August IG. He was convicted and fined 10s, without costs. CARELESS DRIVING. For driving a horse and cart across the intersection of Esk and Dee streets in such a manner as to interfere with the tram traffic, Edwin Hughes was convicted and fined 10s with 7s costs.