RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1503, 23 October 1886, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Temuka— Thursday, October 21. [Before K. F. Gray, Eeq., J.P.] DRUNK AND INCAPABLE, Jamei Jones, brought up charged with \ the above offence, was fined 10is or the * usual alternative. Annie O’Brien answered to a similar chiuge. Constable Morton stated that the ac- I cased spent half her time in gaol, and that she hsd only been dis Charged on the previous day fcoiq the Timaru gaol. She was sentenced' to olie "week's imprison* ment, - Friday, October 22. [Before ]£. F. Gray And W. Rolleston, Esqa. J.P.’s.] threatening to, commit suicide. ?' John Joseph Popplewell was brought up charged with having on the previous night unlawfully disturbed the public peace by threatening te commit suicide. Catherine Clara Popplewell, wife of the accused gave evidence to the • ff-ct that she retired to rest between 10 aod 11 o’clock on the previous night. The accused followed her shortly afterwards, and. when be had lain down asked " What’s the. matter in the State of Denmark now.” She said “ Nothing that*l know of." He said something she could-not understand and kept on giumblipg till m last be jumped lip and said <k Tl(|dhjit, I’ll do it." He cleared, out havingbnly his shirt on. i As he was going out he said " Good bye." \ She went to per. nearest neighbor at once. He had threatened to do away with himself before. He had some drink; but was not drunk. He had, not been drinking miichi He was in gdftd health. . James Roddick stated that he was called between 11 and 12 o’clock 'last night by one, of the family of the accused, He came to the house, and Mrs Popplewell told him her husband had got out of bed and went out, and she was afraid be would do away with himself. Went to the police station and called Constable Morton, and he went with him to drag Franks’ creek. They found the rope they had wat not sufficient, and witness wat on his way to his own house to get a rope when he met the accused on the main road, He appeared scared, and made use of the, expression “Oh don’t." Ban after him, told hira whd witbesi was, and . took him home! '. He straggled not to go into the houra, and said he/would never go in there again ' He appeared very excited, but got better after being put to bed. He asked witness “ Was it you who threw ,stones,at; ma near the footbridge?” To the Court ; 1 think if be had intended to commit suicide he could have done so before I met him. Constable Morton corroborated the evidence of the last witness so far as it related to him. Whetqhe found accused in bad he kcked him up; so 1 that he might have him bound oyer to keep the peace. The accused said that after to bed:he bad some word? / wjith his wife, , and he got very;excited, and for fear of doing harm went out of the way. Ho did not know very well what he had done, or why he did it, but he would promite that it would,not occur again. . Mr Gray said he, bad -placed himself in a very awkward position. It was a pity that a couple who bad lived so long together could not get along amicable now. The Bench would take a lenient view of the now and dismiss it, but if be cam* up again be would be severely dealt with. The Court then rose. '* *