MAGISTERIAL

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11664, 24 January 1902, Page 4

MAGISTERIAL

I WAIMATE THURSDAY, JANUARY [ 23rd. (Before His Worship the Mayor and Mr Atwill, J.P.) A first offender was fined 5s for drunkenness. 5. Bcian was charged with being drunk at a- late hour on the night of the 22nd, and pleaded guilty. There were previous convictions against him. and he was fined 10s. Stephen Bray was charged with being drunk and disorderly on the 17th instant in r.- railway carriage, in the espres:-: train, between Oamaru and Glenavy; and with breaking a window of the railway carriage oil that occasion, the damage 10s": also with violently assaulting J. -EL Hoddinott. a passenger by the same train, between Oamaru and Studholme Junctio;:. Accused had been remanded on these charges from the 18th instant to this Court. He pleaded guilty to the charge of being drunk in the railway carriage, bat said he had no remembrance of having committed the offences of breaking th-i window or assaulting the man. The first witness said that he saw accuser enter the carriage at Oamaru railway station. He believed accused was the worse of liquor, and appeared good-tempered until he drank some liquor from a bottle which he had in his pocket. Accused then appeared to get mad. Witness saw him break the window of the carriage, and strike a man a heavy blow in the face or on the head. Witness did not see or hear any provoca- ] tion given, by the man who was "struck. I

J. H. Hoddinott. .engine-driver, of Kurow. deposed that he was travelling by the train with his wife and children on-the 17tli, between .'Oamarir and Studkolme Junction. Accused used bad and threatening language, said he was a pro-Boer, and wanted to fight. ! He struck witness a violent blow between the two eyes, which stunned and knocked witness down, and attempted to further strike him. Witness's eyes were seveiely injured by the blow, and his eyesight was very defective in consequence of the blow given by accused. Witness had to go to a doctor in Christchurch for surgical aid. He could not yet perform the duties of his occupation. He had not given any provocation whatever to accused, nor had witness any knowledge of having seen him previously. In answer to the Bench, accused said that he had z:'> questions to ask or defence to make. He had taken too- much drink, and couki not remember what occurred afterwards. Accused was fined £5 for being drunk and disorderly in. a rs~.ilway carriage, in default .one month's imprisonment. He was orde. v sd to P-'7 10s fw the damage to the window. £>'■' 14 days' imprisonment. He v : '?f fined £-5 fcr the assault, or one til's Imprisonment. and ordered to pay £5 to Mr Hoddinott f<~ : ' loss and damage caused to by the assiinit. or one month's imI Visonmsnt. the periods of imprisonment to I cumulative. Hi's Worship remarked tsa \ there was too much allowance by ra-il-a.yofficials of drunken men to board the train.-'. He had himself seel). nr>t only al;Ou~ancv, but drunken men actually helped int l * carriage? by railway mert. This sxiou.d n't be, and he hoped the failwav •imhonfies- would take steps that the law | in this correction should be strictly carried ? D * : " °sily for the protection of the ] travailing public, but for the safety of tiie j victims rf drink themselves. "