Magisterial.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 258, 11 March 1869, Page 3

Magisterial.

CHRISTCHURCH. This Day. (Before J. Studholme and T. W. Maude, Esqs.) Drunkenness.— John Humner, in custody, was charged with hiving been drunk mid disorderly and fighting in the streets yesterday. He admitted the offence and expressed his contrition, with a promise not to offend igain. Being his first appearance, the Bench accepted these, and dismissed him with a, caution. Margaret Jonej, alias Brown, admitted having been drunk and disorderly, in the vicinity of the theatre, last night, and, being her fifth appearance, she was committed to forty-eight hour*' imprisonment at hard labour. John Leslie aud Patrick Tobin each p'eaded guilty to having baen drunk and iucapable last night, but being their first offence they were both discharged ■with a caution. Breach of the Stage Carriage ByLaws. — Robert Kalloon, who did not appear, was charged with having plied for hire with a 'bus, on the 23rd instant, the same not being duly licensed. Accused was in the habit of ruuning from the railway station to the post-office, and his old li ense lnvina lapsed, bad applied for a new one, but had not taken it up on the day named. Constable Earei and Sergt. I'ardy gave evidence, and accused was fined 20s and costs. XCattle" Trespass}— John King was fined 5s for permitting a cow to be at large on the South town belt; and Henry Holloway, fora similar offence on the Railway Reserve, was ordered to pay lOs.YJoff? Carr was i charged with allowing eight cows to be at jlarge in Gloucester 6treet east. Constable Eares said he^watched the cows for fk>me time,' grtizing on both sides of tb.fi street, when a toy came out from one of the hedges and dr{>ve them off. Accused denied the grazing, and suid the boy w as driving the cows to the paddock. The boy was called,<and corroborated this, but admitted that he had been a quarter of an hour in driving the cattle about 300 yards.

The Bench ultimately dismissed the case, but administered a. very strong cautio_fi]7 FciHoos Driving.— Patrick King admitted having driven his horse and cab at a furions pace in Colombo street, and over Victoria Bridge, and was fined 10a. Bheacues of the Hackney^ Carmage Ordinance. — John Me Vicar was summoned for having left his licensed vehicle unattended in a public thoroughfare. Constable O'Connor proved to seeing the cab in front of the Criterion Hotel for upwards of ten minutes whilst accused was in the bar. There was no one in charge, and he had to call accused out himself. Accused denied the offence, hut submitted no evidence in support, an 1 a fine of 10s was accordingly imposed. Henry Clarke, for carrying three passengers in a Hansom cab only licensed for two, was fi ied 103. Robert Falloon, who did not appear, was charged with plying for hire in (Jashel street with a vehicle not licensed for that purpos?. Accused, it appears, held a sta^e carriage license for running between the Railway Station and the Post office direct, but had no right to diverge from the route into tiny other street ; a fine of 20s was imposed. Andrew McTaggart was charged on two informations with having neglected to have the stipulated lights burning oii his cab, and with leaving it unattended in Cashsl street for upwards of fifteen minutes on the rnorningiOf the..4th inst. Constable Conwaj said he found accused's cab standing in front of the Provincial Hotel 'a^-1. 30 a.m. on the day named, and he watched it until 1.45 a.m. without any one coining to it. There'were no lights burning in the lamps of the cab, which were in their usual place, and he then went into the hotel, where he found accused with some other cabmen. Accused denied a breach of the by-law on the first charge, saying that ho went into the hotel to procure candles for his cab, and called a witness to prove that he had the lamps in the hotel with him, and that he went in on purpose to get lights for them. Sergeant Pardy, however, elicited, in cross-examination, that accused had been in the hotel quite half an hour before the constable went in. The bench considered both cases proved, and inflicted a penalty of 20s in the first and 10s in the second. Walter Hartnall, for leaving his cab unattended in front of the Central Hotel fjt upwards of ten nnnute3 was fined 10s. Fueiods Riding. —D. . McFarlane, for furious riding in Colombo street, on the Bth inst , was fined 10s. Runaway Horse — Wni. Howard, carrier, was charged with having been at such a distance from his horse and dray, whilst in a public thoroughfare, as not to have proper conimund over them. Evidence was given, shewing that the horse bolted, galloped furiously along Colombo street, and knocked a man down, breaking his leg in a very I serious manner. Sergt. Jeffrey, also stated that he knew the horse to be unfit to be left alone, and not used to .such work as that in which accused employed it. Accused urged in extenuation that the horse was between twelve and fourteen years of age, and that, having known it for several years, he thought it perfectly quiet, and fit for the work. Ho was, at the time it lan away, engaged in delivering some goods, and urged that this was allowed by the by-laws, whiht, at the same time, it would be impossible for him to take a person with him to look after his horse on such occasion.-!. The presiding Magistrate sai-i better care should betaken to prevent the possibility of such accidents as that reported in this case, and fined accused 20s and costs.