RESIDENT MAGISTRATES COURT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1230, 21 August 1884, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATES COURT.

Tbmuka—Wednesday, August 20,1884. [Before H. Robinson Esq., R.M.] DRUNK IK A RAILWAY CARRIAGE. William McMinney wascharged with having been drunk in s railway carriage at Temnka on the 14th inst. He admitted the charge and was fined 10s and costs. INSULTING LANGUAGE. John B. Hunter was charged with having made use of insulting language at Temuka ; ou the 18th of August, 1884, to Charles Reid. ... Charles Reid stated the defendant came to his shop on the 18th, and asked him ont to speak to him. Did not go out. Accused struck at him across the counter. He made use of bad language and collected a crowd. To defendant: I did not call you a rotten swindler. There waa another case against the same defendant for an assault on Charles Reid oa the same day. Charles Reid stated that defendant came into his shop and struck him three times. He got accused shoved outside and he stood outside and challenged him to fight. The cause of the quarrel was that he told a man not to play with Hunter because he bad loaded dice on him. John Mclness stated he was in Reid s shop oh the night in question. Hunter came in and asked Reid to come outside as he wanted to speak to him. He asked Reid what he knew of him in Oatnaru, and Reid told him “ nothing good,” and that be would tell him if he wanted to. Hunter then struck Reid several times, and witness went out for fear they would drive him (witness) through the glass cases. To defendant : Did not hear Reid call Hunter a ■ - rotten swindler. Edwin Forward was called tor the defence, and stated that on the night in question he saw Hunter go into Reid’s, shop. Heard Reid call Hunter a l off swindler. He saw Hunter cfrilro df nain To the police : Was standing on the footpath, and something might have happened inside. There was a squabble before Reid called him a low —— swindler. The quarrel did not arise out of a gambling transaction. The defendant stated that the reason why he went to the shop was because be had heard Reid had been saying something about his character in Camara. When he asked Reid what he . knew about him, he said to him (Hunter) “go away, you —— rotten swindler.” His Worship said the insulting language case was dismissed, and a fine of 20s inflicted in the assselt case.

AN XJNAUTHHNTICATRI) CHARGN. Donald Mackay and Arther Mackay appeared charged on an information laid bj Samuel Brcadley. The prosecutor did not appear when called upon. Constable Morton said Breadlry came down in the middle of the night and gave the accused ia charge. He said he •* was afraid of his life of them.” Mr Hamerslej asked that the accused be discharged as the prosecutor was not present. Ho also applied for costs. His Worship admitted that it a case of hardship, but as it was a police case he could not allow costs. The case Was dismimd.

CIVIL CXBES. Job Brown v. Thomas Pyle Claim £7 17s lOd. —Judgment by default for the amount claimed and costs. Lachlan McCormick v. J Boston — Claim £ls I2s.—Mr Aspinall appeared for defendant. A set-off was put in and the balance paid into Court, The amount was for years rent, but the defendant alleged that he had done £lO 8s worth of work for plaintiff and paid the balance, £5 4s, into Court. The accuracy of the set-off was not disputed, but the plaintiff alleged that it had been settled by a previous account. The more the case was investigated, the less comprehensible it became, neither Bench, bar, plaintiff, nor defendant understanding how the accounts between the parties stood. In the course of his examination the defendant gave evidence which implied that he owed for half a rent — more than he was charged with-—but owing to the plaintiff’s detective capacity for explaining what he wanted to say there was no getting at the facts. After a patient bearing the Ceurt decided that it could do. nothing but give judgment for the amount paid into Court, and allow £1 Is costs to the defendant. The Court then rose.