MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 107, 11 June 1914, Page 8

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before Mr H. W. Bishopj S.M.)' FOUR REMANDS. Michael M'Grath, alias Sharken, alias O'Connor, pleaded not guilty to the theft of an overcoat valued at 60/-, the property of Walter Baker. He was remanded until Saturday. Henry M'Causland was charged with having been helplessly drunk at Lincoln. It was stated that he had been the victim of. an accident, which had made him totally deaf. He was remanded until Friday, June 18, to allow the police to make enquiries as to where accused got his liquor. Sub-Inspector M'Kinnon stated that there were other cases pending in the same connection. Daniel Christie appeared on remand charged with drunkenness. He had been four times convicted within six months. He was remanded for a week to allow him to sober up. Mary Theresa Shave, with three aliases, Poy, Harris, and Wright, was remanded until to-morrow morning on a charge of failing to pay maintenance towards the upkeep of her son. The Sub-Inspector explained that Mary would have been present, but that she missed the train. AND TWO DRUNKS.

One first offender was fined 5/- for insobriety, and another, who was found drunk on the railway station, was fined 10/-. The alternatives of 24 and 48 hours were fixed in each case. CIVIL BUSINESS.

Judgment by default was given in the following case 3 for plaintiff: —Lawrence's Motor' Exchange v. .J. Leslie, £4 1/-; E. Beece and Sons, Ltd., v. Christopher Jansen, £5 9/-; same v. Charles Jameson, jun., £l3 5/10; Williams, Stephens, and Co. v. Henry J. Brown, £1 18/3; W. A. M'Laren and Co., Ltd., v. William J. Russell,. '£B 10/-; E. Spencer and Co. v. John Rountree, 5/-- r 11. G. Baunton v. J. Stevens, £l3 6/11; Beath and Co.,' Ltd., v. Leah Beecroft, £3 15/-; Turnbull and Jones, Ltd., v. Benjamin E. Williams, £l9 14/9. ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS. A number of claims brought under the Wages Protection and Contractors Liens Act were'dealt with. Judgment was given and £346 16/7 paid into Court was apportioned as follows: — Riccarton Timber Co., Ltd., v. Charles Henry Jones, George Thomas Jones, and Albert Kingsford, £199 14/1; Bate and Hoskin v. same, £2B 18/-; Thomas Edwin Hammon v. same, £43 4/-; Mason, Stfuthers, and Co., v. George Thomas Jones and Albert Kingsford, £76 2/10; Victor C. Ashvvorth v. same, £3O 18/4; J. Grose v. same, £l9 19/-.

LYTTELTON. (Before Captain J. R. Hatchwell and Mr L. A. Stringer, J.P's.) A SHIPPING CASE. At the Lyttelton Magistrate's Court this, morning William Hussack, a seaman on the steamer Mokoia, was charged with disobejdng the lawful commands of the chief officer, J. E. Page. He pleaded not guilty. Captain M'Lean and J. E. Page gave evidence. In the agreement between the Union Company and the men clause 4 clearly gave them an option of working overtime between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., with certain provisos. After going into the cause at some length, the Bench dismissed the information.

SHOOTING A DOG. James Garner was charged that on June 6, at Lyttelton, he wilfully maimed a dog valued at £2O, the property of William Edward Whitford. Accused, after some considerable hesitation, pleaded guilty to shooting the dog, but not to intentionally maiming it. Senior-Sergeant Ryan gave , evidence as to the shooting of the dog, which was a valuable one.

Win. Whitford, owner of the dog, stated that he valued it at. £2O, and in addition to losing the dog there was a litter of pups that it was rearing. He had owned the dog f oi) five years. Wm. Souden, inspector for the Borough Council, gave evidence as to the dog being registered. He also admitted informing Garner that he had a right to destroy'an unregistered dog that was on his own property. G. M. Ryan stated that he had shot over the dog on several occasions, and if he had owned it would not have sold it for less than £ls. Garner cross-examined the witnesses, and was called to order on several occasions. In giving his own evidence he stated that the dog was a nuisance to him, and that was the reason why he had destroyed it.

The Bench convicted Garner for illegally destroying the dog, and said that the fact of a dog having a litt, of pups on another man's ground showed that there had been negligence on the part of the owner. They assessed the value of the dog at £ls, and ordered Garner to pay half that amount (£7 10/-) and costs.