MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 121, 27 June 1914, Page 11

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M.)

DRUNKENNESS.

One firrit offending inebriate was fined 5/-, and .lames Davie was fined 10/-, for liis second lapse within six months. Charles Brown, charged with being drunk and disorderly, was .fined 20/-, with the alternative of going to gaol for seven davs.

Richard Carlyle, charged with drunkenness, was ordered to pay the amount expended on liim in medical expenses, and was given until Wednesday to find the money. RINGING THE CHANGES. A sharp featured c-ollarless man, swallowing hard at his Adam's apple 'and palpably nervous, came up on charges of ringing the changes. His name was Thomas Hussey. ami his alias Anderson. He had jfone into a shop and worked the old stunt with signal success. On another occasion he had failed. His method was as follows: — Putting down half-a-sovereign on the counter he would ask for sixpennyworth of sweets. The 9/6 change would be put on the counter but lie would not take it. Instead he would ask the shopkeeper to keep his halfsovereign and the 9/li change and give him a sovereign instead. By this transaction he would make ten shillings and the sweets. Hussey pleaded guilty, but said he had been drinking. '' Ringing the changes,'' said Mr Bishop, "not much drunk about that. Show me his record." The record was produced and helped in accused's undoing. He had four other charges of a similar nature against his name. He was sentenced to three months' imprisonment on each charge, to be cumulative, six months in all. FALSE PRETENCES. Christian; .John Taylor was charged with having obtained board to the value of £4 5/8, by falsely alleging that he was a traveller in the employ of a Christehurch firm. • He pleaded guilty, and handed .in a lengthy letter which the magistrate characterised as mostly excuses, and unconvincing ones at that. The Magistrate decided to give accused another chance, and discharged him, after entering a conviction and ordering him to pay the money for the board. Default was fixed at fourteen days' imprisonment. A JUVENILE. A pleasant looking boy of 12 years came before the Juvenile Court charged with not being under proper control. He told the Magistrate he was in the fifth standard. Chief-Detective Bishop explained that both the boy's parents were dead and the boy was living with a stepmother who had married again. He was a good boy aud had only left home because he did not get on well with those people. He had been earning an honest living selling newspapers. During the time he had been in the station on remand he had never attempted to get away and had worked hard all the time.

The boy was discharged on condition that he went back to a former home. A CYCLE THIEF.

Henry George Hadler, who just escaped being a juvenile (he was sixteen years and six months old) was charged 011 two counts with stealing bicycles valued at £lB and £7 respectively. He pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to two years reformative treatment without gaol. .IUDGMEN T SUMMONSES.

Orders were made in the following judgment summons cases—James fcjmvthe was ordered to pay the Greymouth Co-operative Society £7 4/3 forthwith, in default seven • days' imprisonment; Frank Lawrence was ordered to pay Ernest Braid £3 12/6 at the rate of 2/- a week, in default three days' imprisonment; Fairlie Leshke was ordered to pay B. T. Leathern £4 10/6 forthwith, in default three days' imprisonment; Peter Stewart was ordered to pay Fredk. Truscott £l2 16/6, in default twelve days' imprisonment; Fred Bell was ordered to pay Agness Terrell £1 9/-, in default twenty-four hours' imprisonment*