MAGISTERIAL

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13726, 16 October 1908, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL

TIMARU—THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1908. '.Before Mr C. A. Wnu, B.M-) DRUNKENNESS. A man from Ashburton, a first offender, was charged with having been drunk yeay. He did not appear, and wa* ordered to estreat the amount of his bail, 10s. A voting man from Oamaru pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness and was fined ss, while a third young man belonging to Timaru, also a first offender, was similarly fined for the same offense. SEAMEN IN TROUBLE. ' Three seamen belonging to the is.a. Hawea—J. Gully, J. Murphy, and E. G. Gray—were charged with having disobeyed lawful commands while on the high seas, and aleo in Wtetport harbour. All three pleaded not guilty. SubInspector Green said that the charge was brought under the Shipping and Sean . Act. These men went on board the ship at Westport the worse for drink and refused duty then, as well as later on at sea, thereby endangering the ship. Captain Reid, of the steamer Hawea, said that last Monday night when the ship was ready for sea at Weatport, the three accused went aboard the -«hip and were asked by the chief officer to '» their work. "They were under the influence of liquor and refused to work, m-ss had to employ shore men to help to cast the ship off before leaving Westport. They were supposed to keep the watch from 12 to 4 a.m., but did not do so. Witness " logged" them, and as a result, Gully abused witness. Gray was so drunk that he did not remember anything about it. The men tried to stop the ship »ailhig from Westport on the night in question. Henry Sandennan, chief officer on the Hawea, gave evidence in support of the charge and the men had no questions to put to bin. . One of the accused asked His Wcrihip if this offence was punishable twice; they had already been punished by l»eiug logged. His Worship said that the punishment ■ being logged had nothing to do with the Court. 'i reply to Mr Wray, Captain Rem «aid the men had played up in * similar i wav at Auckland. * His Worship said he supposed that drink was at the bottom of it. He convicted all three on one charge and I fined them £2 each or two days' impri- [ Fonment, while on the other charge he convicted Gray and Murphy and ordered 'i«m to pay a further fine of £2 earh. "- default 7 days' imprisonment. His Worship remarked that he believed Gully w*»« equallv guiltv with the other two. «f both offence*, but there was no actual evidence that Gully had been ordered to keep hi* watch at sea and so he could not convict him of refusing to do so.